Mind and Body
by Al Kristopher
Summary: Are there alternate worlds out there? Is there another reality to our own, standing parallel to this one? Can anybody traverse the span in-between universes? One Sailor Scout just might find out--the hard way! Sailor Moon/Final Fantasy.
1. Looking Glass

Author's note: Final Fantasy belongs to Mr. Sakaguchi and Sailor Moon belongs to… well, whoever thought it up. This fan fiction is dedicated to Myst Lady, for without her interest and kind words, these stories might go unappreciated. Besides, this is really her idea anyway.

**__**

Mind and Body

By Al Kristopher

I: Looking Glass

Deception ran amok that day.

The day was bright with the fires of a happy sun and the cool feeling of blades of grass. The omnipresent fireball above literally beamed with joy as it gave warmth to the world below. In return, beautiful blades of grass shot forth like hair on the planet's head, and hundreds of miniature critters crawled through the thick green forest. The sky was perfect and blue and happy; nary a cloud was within vision. Trees waved happily in the warm breeze, their flowers shedding petals in a beautiful array.

In short, it was the perfect day, and Sailor Mercury was suffering.

Not ten minutes ago, a demonic rogue monster calling himself the Void Droid had stormed into the delectable park. With terrifying ferocity, it scorched the beautiful blades of grass, toppled the gentle trees, polluted the crisp summer wind, and blackened the wonderful blue sky with its smog of darkness. Its origin was unknown; its purpose, however, was obviously havoc.

Sailor Mercury was suffering because it had her locked in its crushing grasp.

There was much deception going on that day. There was so much beauty in the park, for the sun was out and trees were waving and the grass felt so good. There was also horror, for a mechanical monstrosity had destroyed much of this paradise, and with maniacal glee, set forth to wreak even more chaos. It looked like something out of a bad B-movie, but its attacks were nothing to scoff at.

After all, Sailor Mercury was suffering because of it.

The five ladies had been called to battle only recently. They had all been elsewhere, attending to their own individual chores and lives. Each one was preparing for the next day--whether it was cleaning a shrine, cooking a meal, shopping for clothes, studying, or else rotting one's mind with games. Each and every one of the women present had other lives to live, other duties to attend to, and being interrupted from these tasks made them understandably angry.

Sailor Mercury began to feel her limbs rip apart.

They had all scurried over as quickly as they could, the five warriors, and gazed in a brief but astonished horror at the carnage that the Void Droid had caused. Thankfully, it had been a school day, so most everybody was studying at home or elsewhere. Everyone else had wisely retreated, leaving only empty picnic baskets or toys. The five warriors became shocked at such devastation, and by the justice of their hearts and the power in their souls, they had the ability to prevent such horrors from increasing.

Sailor Mercury's brain screamed out in pain as the monster squeezed her.

Calling forth the powers of four of the planets nearest to the sun, and the lone moon that circled the Earth which they stood on, the quintet became illuminated in a light unseen in those parts for months. A blazing inferno encircled one, and great flames spouted out of her mouth as if she were a dragon. This one was a champion of fire, and against her no demon could stand.

Sailor Mars was flat on the floor, groaning in misery.

Hearts and flowers covered the body of another. Wrapped in a beautiful envelope of gold and orange, the great goddess of love stood proud and tall against the wicked machination that dared to cause such pain. Great powers of the heart and hopes and dreams and romance poured out of her body, filling the air with a gentle yet firm sense of righteousness.

Sailor Venus had been beaten beyond recognition.

A third, thunderous maiden stood in the open, great snakes of white-hot electric power slithering across her body. Throbbing like a great conduit of power, rumbling with the anger of the heavens, and standing firm as a storm, the Amazon of things electric rose slightly higher than the others, for those that have strength often do. Yet her strength alone was nothing when compared to the power that her friends loaned to her.

Sailor Jupiter had been blasted black from the deadly firepower.

Their leader, Princess and Future Queen, sat in the radiation of great glorious crystal powers. Shining with more colors than a thousand rainbows, the illuminating one twirled like a majestic top as the pure light encompassed her. Holding in her hand the scepter of judgment and love, and on her shoulders the burden of all things Past and Future, the unlikely leader gave off a great glowing aura as she too joined her comrades.

Indeed, Sailor Moon did join her comrades, but in their defeat.

The final femme, the petite petal of sapphire and cyan, the gorgeous goddess of glaciers, stood calmly as snow and frost covered her own body. Unaffected by the cold, the bluest of all gems smiled with a great wisdom and charity that far exceeded her mental or emotional capacities. This one, though probably the most vulnerable, was also the most essential, save for the leader herself.

And she was suffering greatly.

Sailor Mercury had a strong head on her shoulders, but the Void Droid soon learned the hard way how strong it actually was. With a jerk, Mercury snapped her head back and bashed the back of her skull into the ugly face of the monster holding her. He screamed in horror, not in pain, and clutched his bruised nose in agony. Mercury fell and rolled on the floor, panting hard as her limbs burned. The thing had almost torn them off.

With a shout, their leader managed to rise to her feet, rallying her fellow warriors behind her. Each one, though badly damaged, would not have stopped fighting unless one side suffered a death--preferably the opposing side. Though they were riddled with injuries, and quite exhausted from the long fight, they nevertheless summoned up buckets from the Wells of Energy they had, and drank deep the waters contained within.

Refreshed mentally and beaten physically, the clumsy leader boldly led the charge against the horrid creature, her foursome right behind her. She suddenly stopped and kneeled down, allowing two light ones to leap on her shoulders and launch themselves at the beast. This catapulting action caused the Void Droid to stutter and back away, though it was not quite injured.

A powerful thunder bolt came crashing from the sky and dove deep into the brain of the mechanical monster. Thousands of delicate wires, constructed together by five dedicated scientists, were slowly losing life as the energy tampered with the programming. The one who had thrown the bolt smiled, and signaled for another to strike.

This other warrior, the one who had almost been deprived of her limbs, nodded in agreement and sent forth a chilling wave of water. The water froze the creature's circuitry, forcing the gears inside to hiccup and stutter. With the water now splashed across its innards, a second volt of electricity rumbled from the air to the warrior to the monster's brain, and a terrible shock debilitated its sensors.

Revenge came sweet a few seconds later. Aiming great and powerful cannons, the Void Droid fires salvo upon salvo of wicked energy, scorching the warriors like wicks of a candle. They fell back, their unfortunate bodies absorbing much of the blow, and several moans and groans indicated that many had been severely injured.

The monster did not know amusement, since it had no emotion, so it did not laugh in triumph. Instead, it shot forth a barrage of deadly needles, sending the girls scrambling for safety. On occasion, the android's efforts would be rewarded with a splash of blood and/or a scream of pain. Emptily, it continued firing in a berserk rage, even though it knew neither pain nor hate. The warriors, though many, were not quite as well-built as it was.

Suddenly, the delicate circuitry in the robot's brain began to fry and sizzle. Apparently, one of the girls had summoned her flames, and slapped the creature into stupidity with a few of them. Still another had a sort of chain wrapped around its legs, and though the robot tried moving, it did not get too far without falling towards the ground in an inanimate heap.

Their leader, the one dressed in colors of the rainbow, brought forth her great scepter and desired nothing save to finish the beast off. Shouting words that the robot would only hear once in its "life", the girl whom nobody ever thought would be a Princess or a Queen blasted the beast with something that could only be described as a crystalline kind of heart.

A great fiery explosion was her reward, and a pillar of smoke and flames told enough stories to the warriors--the monster was "dead", or at least defunct, and the destruction it had caused would never again come from its own sources. Or, at least, that's what the girls assumed.

To their shock, the robot stood up yet again, waving burning arms of steel and rubber. It was not quite dead yet; it still had one trick up its sleeve before the Great Nothing claimed it. Summoning forth great and dark powers that no mortal (save these five) had ever witnessed, it produced something similar to a mirror from its innards and held it up for all to see.

With a blinding flash, the mirror shot forth a great light that engulfed half the park in its rays. Some_thing_ reached out from that mirror, stretching towards the closest victim in hopes of committing some atrocious deed. Despite valiant efforts, it found a suitable victim to strike, and blasted the poor girl with a power so strange and foreign that only a few twisted minds could possibly comprehend it.

With a rumble and another flash, the light retracted back into the mirror, pulling its unfortunate victim with it. The other four screamed as their friend and ally was pulled into the unknown, and with a final flash, their comrade had been yanked _into_ the mirror, where she instantly became lost amidst a swirling vortex of matter, antimatter, chaos, and order. As their friend vanished, the robot died in a final, fiery flash, and with it the mirror, and any hopes of the unfortunate woman ever returning from where she had been sent.


	2. Xenography

II: Xenography

Diving into the unknown recesses of the spiraling vortex, the young lady could only shriek in horror as her body separated itself from Reality and vaulted into the abyss of the Void. Careening forward into the swimming ocean of swirling light and sound, the young lady's stomach flipped several degrees, and turned inside-out for good measure.

She screamed again. What was going on? What had happened? It had not been five minutes since she was with her comrades, battling against another wicked monster. These defenders of love and justice had heard of a berserk automaton causing havoc in a nearby park, and had immediately rushed over to meet this dreaded nemesis. A battle ensued, with the five women of justice, ice, love, thunder, and fire squaring off against the wicked machine that dared disturb the serenity of the day.

That battle had been long and hard, but nothing worth mentioning years into the future. This robot, dreadful creature it was, possessed awesome powers and an unusual strength, but even giants had the ability to fall, and this machination was no giant. Its circuits were fried by the stormy one and burned by the fiery one; it crashed to the ground upon being restrained by the lover, and became inoperable from the icy one. Their leader, cowardly and clumsy and brave and sure, destroyed the creature, as was her duty.

But in its destruction, the abomination did not die. Sputtering and coughing like an ancient jalopy, the remains of the beastly machine stood once more to challenge the girls. It had no hope of fighting them, but one trick still remained inside its proverbial sleeve. Summoning its last gigabyte of strength, the robot reached into a cavity and pulled out a magical mirror; its use was unknown until the very last minute.

A beam of light spewed forth from the mirror, and caught one of the girls in its deadly grasp. She screamed, and called for help from her friends. They pulled and yanked on their friend, and a vicious game of tug-of-war ensued. But the four girls did not win this game, for the mirror's magical strength was able to break their hold and pull their friend into its glassy mouth.

She screamed one final time before being lost forever inside the mirror, and with its mission complete, the android exploded in a fiery mushroom of smoke and flames. The mirror it held fell to the grassy ground, and shattered into a dozen pieces upon impact. But it was not just the mirror that broke; any chance of their friend ever returning to Reality had also shattered that day.

Of course, nobody knew this, least of all the unlucky victim. Unaware of what had happened even now, she continued to fall into the darkness, into the swirling spiral of matter, antimatter, chaos, and order. She continued to scream, even though it served no purpose--she was frightened, frightened to death, and had she stayed in that Void of Everything and Nothing, she might truly have been frightened into Death.

To be certain, the young lady did spend much time in the vortex. She must have been plummeting through space, time, and reality for eons, or perhaps seconds--no time existed in this wormhole. But for however long she spent, the journey ended eventually, albeit roughly--that is, once she fell through the vortex between realities, she was spat out onto a hill of green grass, like Jonah from the fish.

For a good period of time, the young lady stayed there on the grassy hill, slowly catching her breath and gathering her senses. What had happened? Where was she? Where was everybody else, and could she return? A hundred-thousand questions ran through her head as she laid there on the hill, but all she could really do was rest and breathe.

A long period of time passed, perhaps an hour, and in this hour, the young lady slowly started to piece together what had happened. One, she and her comrades were fighting a robot in the park. Two, this robot had been destroyed. Three, it produced a mirror from its innards. Four, by possible means of magic, this mirror "grabbed" her and "pulled" her inside this vortex which she had just passed through.

The vortex… She had just been through what appeared to be a fifth-dimensional tear in reality, a Nexus to be more precise. It seemed as if this mirror that the monster possessed had the ability to send somebody from one reality into another--in other words, through a Nexus into another "world", another existence, parallel yet separate from any others. The girl knew that such "worlds" existed--after all, she had been in a few of them when she fought earlier enemies.

Five, she passed through the Nexus between worlds and into this new one. Six, she was now on a hill, and she had no idea where she was--but she would find out.

After going over everything that had transpired, the lady stood up and stretched her weary muscles. No longer was she in the garb of a Sailor Scout; now, she was dressed in her ordinary clothes, the type she used when attending school. This might have (or might not have) been a bad sign for her. Losing one's abilities was… usually not a good thing.

She cast her worries aside for the time being and looked around to examine the world she had been placed in. It was a warm day, just like her "world" had been, but things were obviously different. There were no trees around for miles, and with the exception of the hill she was on, the entire land was completely flat. In the far distance, a mountain range just barely peeked out from behind a veil of mist and fog.

It had occurred to her that, instead of being thrown into another world, the lady had instead been relocated to another section of her "world", like teleportation. She kept this idea a possibility as she stepped down from the hill. Keeping her eyes sharp, a smell hit her nose as she descended, and she easily recognized it as the scent of the sea.

The young woman spent about fifteen minutes walking from the hill to the shore. Upon arriving at the beach, she discovered that she was on some very large island, and to prove her theory, she might have to take a long tour of the place in the near future. Right now, though, she just hoped for some civilization. Being stranded on an island was not a very pleasing idea, especially an island on a foreign world.

The young woman's wish was granted happily as her soft eyes beheld a town in the distance. Upon further examination, this town was very much like one of her own--in fact, the people even spoke and understood the same language! The girl's theory about this being her own world, however, crashed and burned as she wandered through the town.

Though the people did not think anything suspicious about her or her appearance, none of them had ever heard of places she mentioned. Upon asking what seemed to be the local informant, the young lady found out that she truly was in another world, for nobody had ever heard of the country where she lived.

Thanking the people for their help, or perhaps for their lack of suspicion, the girl decided to leave the town and search for other signs of civilization. Although she had money with her, she wasn't sure whether it was the right currency or not, so staying in a hotel to think things over might have been out of the question. So, leaving the town behind, the young lady ventured forth into the unknown.


	3. Maverick

III: Maverick

Departing from the town was perhaps the single gravest error that the young woman had ever committed. In her seventeen-some years, she had made numerous mistakes and countless errors, despite her attention to detail and the will to perfect herself. Learning from past mistakes was one of her strong points, but she had never made an error like this.

To elaborate, no sooner had she put a mile's distance between herself and the town did the young lady suffer from an attack. A vicious swarm of unusual, serpent-like creatures slithered forth from the empty plains and attacked her without warning. She screamed as the gigantic cobras came forth, and knew right then that this world was unlike any other she had been to.

The cobras, sensing her fear, slithered forward to strike. There were four in the bunch, and they were easily as long as the young woman was tall. Their venomous fangs were about the size of her middle finger, and their foreboding hoods were large enough to blot out the sun. The snarling sound they made as they advanced would have made any person pale in the face.

The young woman's shriek did not last long. With a set determination, she gritted her teeth and dashed forward to defend herself. The snakes, clever reptiles they were, sat in wait as she dashed. With a sudden flick, one had coiled itself around her body, and squeezed until her face began turning abnormal colors. She began to lose sight and senses, and wondered whether this unfitting enemy really would be the end of her.

With her comrades by her side, the young lady had faced countless monsters before, some so vile and powerful they had threatened the lives of every living creature in the galaxy. She had destroyed her fair share of beasts, so it wasn't like she had came into this fight with inexperience. Yet somehow, these wicked serpents had gotten the better of her, and without even giving her the chance, they slowly began to kill her…

A shout caused the snakes to loosen their grip on the girl. She crumbled to the ground, gasping and wheezing for breath as life returned to her lungs. Her face began to attain its normal peach color, and her body slowly lost the welts that the snake had impressed upon her. Whatever had made the noise that had saved her, the girl was grateful for it.

Suddenly, another shout came from behind, and like a bolt of lightning, a figure came and tackled the serpents with unbelievable ferocity. Using only its bare hands, the person smashed apart the serpents like they were nothing more than punching bags. In only a few short yet bloody minutes, the serpents were on the ground, torn apart by the rage of the figure's fighting.

The girl, still catching her breath, could not believe what had just happened. One minute, a small group of cobras were ready to crush her; the next, somebody was rescuing her. She took time to catch her breath, swallowed, and slowly stepped towards the figure. After all, she did not know whether this was friend or foe.

Upon further examination of her savior, she saw that it had been a young man, perhaps only a little older than she was. He was taller than her, and from the way he fought, he was very well-built. He wore sneakers on his feet, and his muscular legs could be seen well since he had a pair of blue shorts on. He had a casual black fighting shirt on with red suspenders keeping it in place, and a pair of nasty-looking gauntlets were on his hands. He had a very bright and enthusiastic face, with wide blue eyes and a hint of childish wonder in his looks. His spiky blonde hair seemed to reach up to the heavens, and his smile was quite broad.

Slowly, the girl approached the man, breathless and wordless. He saw her, whistled in amazement, and performed a friendly salute.

"Hey, you okay, lady?" he shouted. His voice seemed just as excitable and zealous as he was. The young lady smiled lightly, and nodded her head.

"Yes, I suppose…"

"Jeez, what were you doing out here all by yourself?" demanded the young man. "Did you forget that there's monsters around here?" The young woman sighed, taking in a deep breath as she tried to figure out her reason for being there. There would be no doubt that the young man would be curious about her appearance, and the fact that he wondered why she was there was understandable.

She had to make up some alibi for her presence. Not wanting to be conceived as a lunatic, she decided _not_ to tell him the true circumstances for her appearance. He might have looked a little immature, but she was certain that he would not take her true story with a straight face. Not knowing what else to say, she just shrugged and scratched the back of her neck.

"Ah, I suppose I did," she said. Of course, she never knew that monsters wandered these plains in the first place, so it wasn't completely false. The man shrugged.

"Huh… I dunno how you could forget something like that! There's been monsters roaming this world for… oh, I'd say a good while. Maybe a thousand years or so!" He smiled, and laughed politely. "Buuuut, I suppose you have your reasons." The young woman smiled and nodded her head.

"Oh, excuse me," she said, "but do you know where I am?" The young man froze, and did a double-take as she asked the question. A "_You're joking, right?_" look came on his face, and he sputtered before speaking.

"Say _whaaaat_?" he blurted. "You honestly don't know where you are?" The lady cringed and mentally kicked herself for her error. She should have realized that it would be foolish to ask such a question--after all, she might have been the only person on that world who didn't know where she was. Now, he really _would_ think that she was crazy!

"Uh, well, I…" She swallowed, and tried to formulate a plausible excuse, but he just sighed and rubbed his neck.

"Oh, uh… well… I guess you have amnesia, or something, right?" The young woman took in a deep breath, and thought about it. If she hoped to learn more about this world, then perhaps she _should_ act like an amnesiac, and hope for the best. Apologizing to herself for the lie, she nodded her head weakly.

"Man, that's rough," muttered the young man. "You musta been attacked by other monsters before I got here. Aw, don't worry, I'll help you out!" The young man smiled, stepped forward, removed his gauntlet, and extended his hand. The young girl smiled and took his hand in her own in a shake.

"Name's Dincht," he said, "Zell Dincht. Do you remember your name?"

"Uh, yes," said the girl, quickly trying to improvise. "I, uh, had my I.D. with me after I lost my memory, so I know who I am."

"Oh. Cool. So do you know where you live, miss…?"

"Oh, uh, Mizuno. Amy Mizuno."

"Cool. Amy Mizuno. Huh. Don't ask me why, but that name sounds familiar…" The young man paused, and mumbled something to himself. Seeing the girl's puzzled look, he smiled and coughed politely.

"Whoa, sorry there!" he grinned. "I got lost in my thoughts! Anyway, do you remember where you live, Miss Amy?"

"No," she sighed, "I'm afraid I don't."

"Well, no problem. I can probably let you stay at the Garden for a little while if you want."

"Garden?" Amy tilted her head over to the side, somewhat confused. She couldn't help but wonder why this young man would want her to stay in a garden. Perhaps it was customary for these people to sleep in the dirt? Amy shivered to herself, and hoped and prayed that that wasn't the case.

"Oh, right, sorry," mumbled the boy. "A Garden's sorta like a military school that trains mercs. I just happen to be one of the elite SeeDs there!"

"A SeeD?" Amy grunted softly. This young man--Zell, was it?--was not making a bit of sense. First there had been the nonsense about the monsters, then the garden gibberish, and now he was talking about seeds? _What kind of crazy world have I landed in?_ thought Amy.

"Gosh, I'm really sorry!" muttered Zell. "I keep on forgetting that you don't remember anything!"

"No, it's okay," said Amy. "Please tell me what these gardens and seeds are." Zell sighed, and nodded his head. He asked Amy to follow him, for they would be considerably safer walking than standing out in the open. Not wanting to encounter any more monsters, Amy obliged and followed Zell. On the way to their destination, he filled her in on everything she needed to know…


	4. Hello, Goodbye

IV: Hello, Goodbye

"Okay, let's start out with Gardens. Pay attention, now, cuz' this is complicated stuff!"

"I'm all ears." Zell smiled, and continued to lead the way. By this time, they were on the road to the "garden", but it would take them quite some time to get there. Apparently, though, Zell wasn't in a hurry.

"A Garden is sorta like a military school," he began, "except it's not a non-profit organization. The basic function of Gardens is to train cadets in physical and mental capabilities. Cadets are put through mental and physical examinations--in other words, real-life situations, where life and death are very much a reality. But they only participate in the field exams if they pass the written test. Understand?"

"I think so," replied Amy. "But… why would you be placed in a dangerous position like that?"

"Oh, uh…" Zell mumbled out something, and paused suspiciously. "Well… we need to, ah… prove ourselves for any kinda mission that might be sent in our direction. It's really hard to explain… So just, uh, think of it as hardcore training. They take things pretty seriously, y'know?"

"Oh…" Amy paused, and smiled slightly. Hopefully, she would be able to absorb everything into her mind. She was a bright one, but entering into a completely foreign field like this would doubtless challenge her. However, she enjoyed challenges, so it wasn't as if she actually dreaded anything. Besides, with the way Zell talked, he made even the most complex sound easy.

"I think I understand," said Amy after the pause. "And what about SeeDs?"

"Oh, uh, they're the students who show excellent work in the field test. Whether it's following orders, fighting, or whatever, SeeD candidates are constantly being judged. If they score well, they become SeeDs, which are basically the elite soldiers of the Garden. Of course, there are also different ranks for SeeDs. As for me, I'm a 27, Nida's a 26, Selphie's a 25, Quistis is a 29, Squall's a 30--"

"Oh, stop, you're confusing me!" cried Amy. "What are all these names? You're going too fast!"

"Aw, man! I'm sorry, Miss Amy!" Zell moaned, and rubbed his neck in embarrassment. "I'm… _really_ sorry there. I get carried away sometimes. But… hey, I'll tell you about them later, all right?" Amy sighed, and nodded her head.

"All right. It's just that… well, everything's so confusing! This is like a whole new world for me!" She paused and mentally kicked herself for revealing such a secret. Of course, the attack wasn't necessary, since Zell thought that she was an amnesiac. _Perhaps, _she thought, _having no memory will be of assistance._

"Hey, don't worry!" stated Zell, giving her an impressive grin. "I'll help you out as much as I can! And hey, if you do good, you might find a few friends later on! Maybe somebody who knows you?" _No chance of that happening,_ thought Amy darkly. Despite her confused and puzzled mood, she still tried to smile her best.

"I hope so," she said. "Oh, by the way, where exactly are we going?"

"Balamb Garden," replied Zell. He stopped, and pointed his finger in a southeast direction. In the distance, Amy could see what looked something like a great mechanical whale with a halo over it. It resembled something out of a Jules Verne novel: there were lights flashing all around it, and a bluish aura that glowed forth from all over it. She really didn't know how else to describe such an object, since she had never seen any of its kind, but she could only assume that this was part of the "Garden" she had heard about.

"Is that it?" asked Amy. Zell smiled and nodded his head.

"Yup. Home sweet home! Hey, listen, unless you have money or connections, you should probably find somewhere to sleep. The Garden might let you stay for awhile, maybe until you get your memory back, but it's not a homeless shelter." Amy nodded her head in compliance, and Zell apologized for sounding so heartless.

"No, it's all right," replied Amy. "I understand perfectly well. Here, let's go and see if we can't discover anything." She smiled at Zell, and extended her elbow for him to take. He muttered something, scratched his head in embarrassment, and obediently linked his elbow to hers as they marched towards the Garden.

The Garden looked much more lovely up close. At the front gate, a tiny row of plants had been meticulously placed to make any visitors feel welcome. The gateman was a bland sort; he let Zell in fine, but had to question Amy's appearance. Zell vouched for her, though, and whispered (not so low that Amy couldn't hear) about his friend's mental condition.

Once inside the Garden, Zell scooted over to the side and smiled with pride. He extended his arms forward, almost as if he were giving the entire place to Amy. She smiled, and quietly strolled forward, past the fountains and trees and into the main area. Inside, the transition from nature to technology happened in almost a second; Amy was surprised at the sudden change.

The inner area resembled a very large wheel-shaped construction, with a large outer hallway circling an elevator in the center. Like spokes on said wheel, several hallways jutted out from the main hall, each one leading to a different location. There was a lovely fountain circling the elevator, and plenty of shrubs and trees to decorate the place. Amy liked it almost instantly.

Inside the Garden, a large group of people were gathering around a tall man with a scar over his face and a black parka over his body. There was also a dark-haired woman wearing a pretty casual dress next to him, and a few other faces that Zell seemed to recognize. The people surrounding the man and the woman looked like they were saying goodbye to the couple.

The duo stepped away from the crowd, and side-by-side, walked towards Zell. He grinned as he saw them come, and gave a gigantic wave.

"Wassup, Squall? Don't tell me you're leaving already! I just got here!!"

"Yeah, well…" The man in black shrugged, but really made no effort to explain himself. The woman in blue smiled and took his arm.

"Hey, Zell," she greeted. "We really can't stay. Sorry you missed the festivities, but Selphie promised to save you a hot dog."

"What, are you leaving _already_? I didn't even get to say bye to my pals!" grinned Zell. The woman in blue smiled happily; the man sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Sorry, Zell," sighed the woman. "We'd love to stick around, but you know… We have that train to catch."

"Yeah, yeah…" Even though he sounded irritated and slightly embarrassed, Zell couldn't help but smile. He patted both of the people on their backs, and waved as they left. Suddenly, he jumped in shock, and ran after them in a furor.

"Oh, man!" he blurted. "Where's my brain today?! I totally forgot to introduce you!!" Pulling on their arms, Zell guided the man and the woman towards Amy, who had seen the entire spectacle with a hidden laugh. "Squall, Rinoa," he began, "I'd like for you to meet Amy Mizuno! Amy, this here is Squall Leonhart and Rinoa Heartilly!"

"It's a pleasure to meet you!" smiled Amy, bowing her head low. Squall gave a salute, and Rinoa took Amy's outstretched hand.

"Sorry we can't stay, Miss Amy," sighed Rinoa, "but Squall and I will be late for our train. It was nice meeting you--oh, and… try to keep Zell in line while we're away!"

"HEY!!" Zell shouted out to her, but Rinoa's and Amy's giggling almost drowned it out; Squall only let out a weak smile.

"See ya," he said, and quietly left the Garden with Rinoa by his side. Amy smiled as they left, and turned to face Zell with her face beaming.

"Friends of your, I suppose?"

"Yeah, well… and then some. Anyway, I'd better get you introduced to everyone else. Who knows, maybe Headmaster Cid or Matron will be able to help."

"Who?" Zell grunted to himself, and almost kicked his own butt for his ignorance.

"Man, I'm sorry! Aw, you'll know who they are soon enough!" Amy paused, and managed to smile before following him. This new world that Zell lived in certainly was strange… and yet, it was very similar to her own, in a comforting sort of way. This, at least, put Amy at ease.

Only a select few people remained once Squall and Rinoa left, and it seemed as if Zell knew each and every one of them. The high-spirited young man rushed into the crowd, shouting something either obscene or nonsensical, or both, and at least one person shouted with him.

"Hey you guys!" he greeted (Amy could have heard him for miles). "I've got a… _friend_ to introduce to you all! Now her memory's not too great, so don't be giving her any funny looks if she says something weird!!" Amy sighed and rolled her eyes as she overheard Zell, and secretly wanted to throttle him for his comment. Before she could wrap her hands around his neck, though, she was being pushed into the crowd and greeted by a host of people.

"Well howdy, ma'am," said one, tipping what appeared to be a cowboy hat. Amy stared back at him questionably. She had to wonder if this fellow was, like herself, from another world. He certainly dressed like he was--maybe he originated from America, perhaps? Still, she kept her tongue, and smiled politely as he kissed her hand.

"I'm Irvine!" said the man with a sly wink. "It's a pleasure makin' your acquaintance!"

"Ah, thank you, Mr. Irvine…"

"Just Irvy to you, darlin'," sang Irvine. Amy smiled weakly, and tried to appear either civil, interested, or both at once. The others treated her considerably… different than he, although no less friendlier.

"Hi, I'm Selphie!" sang a petite young lady in yellow overalls. Amy genuinely grinned as she saw the little lady bounce up and down, and couldn't help but be reminded of Mina or Serena as she saw her. Another woman, much taller and more reserved, bowed her head and extended a friendly hand.

"It's good to meet you, Miss Mizuno. I'm Quistis Trepe, a… former instructor of this Garden. Please, as a friend of Zell's, make yourself at home."

"Thank you, Ms. Trepe," replied Amy with a nod. "Your hospitality overwhelms me."

"Aw, no need for formalities, right?!" exclaimed Zell, slapping her back playfully. She tumbled forward, and might have fallen on the ground if Irvine had not caught her.

"Gosh, ma'am!" he sang. "You're awful friendly, aren't you?" Amy couldn't help but blush, even though she knew that he probably treated all girls this way.

"Zell… you really must learn not to do that," sighed Quistis. Zell grunted and scratched his head in apology. Amy smiled, and bowed her head in respect.

"It's nice meeting all of you," she said. "Really, it is. And I thank you for offering your hospitality. I'm so lost and confused that I think I'll never get things straightened out."

"Don't worry! I'll help ya!" squeaked Selphie. Like a child that refuses to sit still, the sunny girl hopped over to Amy and put her arm across her shoulder. "We're gonna be friends, okay? Cuz' I'm thinking about dying my hair blue as well, okay?"

"Ah, sure…" murmured Amy. She tried her best for a smile, but secretly, she just wished to be alone for a moment. Selphie's company was welcome, but now really was not the time for her. Just then, another figure emerged from an elevator, and quietly glided over to Amy.

As the group of young men and women parted ways to let this new person pass, Amy couldn't help but feel… different around her. Granted, she was not as in tune to the psychic world as Raye, but she knew a _feeling_ when she felt one, and this was one of those feelings. The woman, a plain lady with long black hair and an equally long and black dress to match, stepped forward with a gentle smile on her face and a haunting look in her gold eyes.

"Hello, ma'am," greeted Amy, bowing a little lower than normally. The lady in black bowed as well, and a simple smile grew on her face.

"Good afternoon, child. May I ask who you are?"

"Amy Mizuno, ma'am." The woman suddenly grew a little pale--not that it was noticeable. Her face was fair enough as it was; it certainly couldn't afford to be any whiter. The lady in black took in a deep breath and swallowed, but before anyone could ask what was wrong, she smiled and extended her hand.

"It is good to see you, Miss Mizuno. I welcome you to Balamb Garden." Amy mirrored the lady's smile, and took her hand into her own. A very funny and strange feeling overcame the blue-haired girl as she touched the hand… It felt like ice, but a kind of ice that made one comfortable and safe and even warm. It felt like warm ice, or perhaps a cool fire, but whatever it was, it certainly was different than other people. Amy wondered to herself if the lady noticed.

__

Welcome back, warrior of ice.

Amy's eyes shot wide open as the voice entered her head, but the lady in black didn't notice her shocked reaction. She continued smiling in a very kind and compassionate and perhaps even a playful manner. Still, Amy was not reassured--_somebody_ had reached her mind! Someone knew of her secret! Someone knew who she was!

"Is something wrong, child?" asked the woman innocently. Still in a shock, Amy shook her head and realized that she was still holding onto the lady's hand. She let go and tried to smile, but it was like trying to laugh at a funeral. "Well," continued the lady, "if all is well, then you may address me as Edea, Edea Kramer. Zell, Quistis, Selphie, Irvine, if you won't mind too terribly much, see to it that Miss Mizuno finds a room. I have a feeling that she needs rest." The ones she had called out nodded their heads obediently. Edea smiled at Amy and left the room just as quickly as she vanished.

"Oh, uh, that was Matron," blurted Zell suddenly. He smiled sheepishly and scratched his head. "If you can't tell, I'm really bad at this sorta stuff."

"For real," sniffed Selphie. "But hey! If Matron says that we need to give Amy a room, then she can share mine! Right?!" Selphie's innocent pretty face beamed back at Amy with enough love and spunk to rival Sailor Venus. That look alone _almost_ melted away Amy's worries and concerns.

"Ah, only if it won't be any trouble," she managed. Selphie smiled even broader (if that were possible) and cheered.

"Woo-hoo! Great! Okay, Amy, we're gonna be roomies!!" And before the blue-haired girl could protest, she was being dragged off towards Selphie's dorm, a small group of young men and women remaining behind to smile and laugh.

"Are you sure?" Edea paused, folding her hands awkwardly as she nodded her head. She took a patient step forward, the look on her face saying volumes. The man in the room, Headmaster Cid, could only sigh and clean his spectacles. "Amy Mizuno? Just like that?"

"Exactly," whispered Edea. "She even looks like…" Edea paused, and drew in a deep breath. "I am not saying that it is not a coincidence. It very well could be. Remember, dear, there are other Cids and Edeas in the world out there, and a few even have our name. I've even seen a woman who resembled me, though she was twenty years my junior."

"But… what if it was a possibility?" asked Cid gently. He let a brief but thick pause hang in the air. "What if she really was…? And… now, she…"

"Then," reasoned Edea, "we must do our best to make her feel at home, and make sure that her memories come back quickly. After all, I would not like to lose her again."

"Nor would I, dear," sighed Cid. "Nor would I."


	5. Fitting In

V: Fitting In

Sighing, Amy's eyes opened with the sun. She smiled merrily at the dawning of a new day, and took her time to stretch and grunt softly. For the briefest of moments, she thought that she was back in her old bed, but after hearing a cute snoring sound from the bed next to her, she knew that she was still in the Garden.

Smiling warmly, Amy regarded her bouncy roommate with tenderness. She did not know the girl at all, and yet who could help but love her? Selphie reminded Amy of a hybrid of Serena and Mina: bouncy, energetic, sunny, innocent, carefree, impish, trustworthy, and honest. Of course, she was also a sleepyhead: it was well past nine o'clock, and although Amy had nothing to do that day, she had tried to get up early.

Sighing, Amy slid out of bed and shook Selphie gently. The petite woman snorted and giggled out some nonsense, but otherwise kept her clutch on sleep. Amy shook her head, and whispered Selphie's name a few more times. The girl rolled over in bed, but otherwise did nothing. To Amy's reckoning, it was a Wednesday, and there were no holidays scheduled, so Selphie would probably be late for class--another characteristic of Serena's.

Sighing, Amy whispered an apology and tightly pinched Selphie's nostrils together. The girl sputtered, and woke up with a jolt. Amy released her grip and apologized yet again for suffocating Selphie; the latter wondered what was going on, and then in a panic, wondered why Amy did not wake her up sooner. Amy sighed and hung her head in exasperation, and tried to keep civility as Selphie flitted around the room.

Finally, Selphie emerged from her closet wearing the uniform of an Advanced SeeD. Her grin was no smaller than a barn, and her voice no less excited than a child at Christmas. With a squeal, she showcased herself to Amy, who liked the Advanced SeeD outfit very much--but did not like the fact that Selphie would be late.

"Aw, no prob!" assured the brunette. "I won't get into trouble! Hey, when I come back, I'll let you have my old school uniform! We look like we're the same size, and you'll need it if--oh, whoops!!" She smiled impishly, and tried to giggle her way out of the situation.

"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Amy.

"Nothing!" sang Selphie. "Just pretend you didn't hear anything, kay? I'll be back this afternoon, so feel free to wander around until then, kay? Oh, but try to stay away from the training area, kay?" Amy blinked in confusion, but managed to nod her head. "Coolness!" cheered Selphie. "Okay, gotta jet! Byes!" Selphie blew a friendly kiss, and scampered out of the room before Amy could say Booyaka--not that she ever would.

After dressing and bathing, Amy decided to heed her new friend's advice and left the dorm to explore the Garden. Since it was a school day, she didn't hope to see anybody walking around, unless they were a truant. Still, she took the time to peek into every available door and hallway she could find. Hence, Amy started exploring the Garden in clockwise fashion, from her left.

The first place that Amy stumbled upon was the parking garage. She figured that this was a very logical place, for how else were the students and faculty supposed to move around? Certainly the Garden didn't just up and float on its own! The lot was abandoned of human life, however, so Amy ignored this and left for the next area.

The next destination was the infamous training center. Amy had already received a warning from Selphie about the place, and although she didn't know the girl well, she trusted her enough to obey her advice. Distinctly, Amy could hear fighting going on inside the room. Several students _and_ teachers were engaged in combat, and the chilling sound of roaring made the ground quake. If Amy had been a little more naïve, she would have thought that dinosaurs roamed those halls. But that was impossible.

After smartly avoiding the training center, Amy came upon a welcome sight, the library. She sighed and smiled happily, and entered into the room. Here was where she felt most comfortable, among the books and papers and archives. Though none of the books seemed familiar, Amy plucked out a few and walked over to the nearest chair. She was by herself, with the exception of a few students there for a project, so she would not be interrupted.

Amy chuckled weakly to herself as she realized what she was doing. The library, she figured, was the literal last place she should be at the moment. She wanted to look around the rest of the Garden first, so with a heavy heart she got back up and put the books away--but not before memorizing their titles first.

Once she left the library, Amy continued to walk around the Garden. She hit the main gate next, and a directory told her of the rooms she would be encountering in the future. After passing the main gate, she would come across Infirmary, Quad, and Cafeteria. Amy smiled, and the thought of meeting a fellow doctor, more students, and a healthy lunch pleased her greatly.

She took a deep breath and continued to walk, towards the Infirmary. Because she wanted to become a doctor, perhaps it would be best to befriend the resident physician, whoever it was. Amy just hoped that the doctor (or doctors) would not be too busy to talk with her. As she approached the door to the doctor's room, Amy made a mental note that the physician's name was _Kadowaki_. Three knocks and she was let inside.

"Oh!" Amy gasped, and covered her mouth as she saw the doctor. Her smile increased significantly when she discovered that it was a woman. _Well, that makes things a little easier,_ she thought to herself.

"Hello," said the doctor. "How may I help you, miss?"

"Oh, just looking around," answered Amy. The doctor frowned and began to suck on a pencil.

"Are you a new student?"

"No, I'm not a student. It's ah… a long story. Oh, my name is Amy Mizuno."

"Amy Miz…" The doctor paused in mid-sentence, and slowly gnawed on her pencil. Her eyes glazed over, as if she were in deep thought. "Amy Mizuno…" She repeated the name again, and rolled it around in her head for a few seconds more.

"Is there something wrong?" offered Amy. A short pause followed.

"Pardon me for asking, but are you sure that's your name?" Amy paused stiffly, and swallowed. _Why does she want to know that?_

"Yes…"

"Positive?"

"Yes, I am," she said with finality. The doctor pursed her lips together, and gave Amy an inquisitive face.

"Nothing," she muttered, "it's nothing. It's ah… a pleasure to meet you, Miss Mizuno." Amy smiled, but the doctor's mouth did not move as they shook hands.

"Oh, Dr. Kadowaki, is it?" said Amy. The doc nodded her head. "Ah. Well, I would like to become a doctor myself, so perhaps I can befriend one who is already in the profession?"

"Uh, sure…" muttered Kadowaki. The older woman swallowed hard, and let go of Amy's hand. "Come back here tomorrow, Miss Mizuno. I'm booked solid today, but perhaps we can have a chat sometime later?"

"Sure!" Amy did her best smile, and bowed her head as she wished Dr. Kadowaki good day. Inwardly, though, she shivered. _What was that all about?_ she wondered. _Why did she want to know if that was my name or not…? Oh well, I suppose I'll know tomorrow._

Leaving the infirmary behind, Amy's next destination was the Quad. Unlike the other areas, this one had entertainment uses. A stage had been set up, and several speakers and microphones were strewn around in a mess of wires and cables. Buckets of paint were also scattered about, some of them mostly empty. Unlike the other rooms, though, Amy quickly discovered that she was not alone.

"Hello?" she said as she heard some voices. "Is anybody there?" Peeking around a little more, she could just barely see the tip of a black fedora--although, as Amy stepped closer, it began to resemble a hat worn by an American cowboy. With a smile, Amy recognized who it was.

"Mr. Kinneas?" Amy revealed herself, and smiled as Irvine glanced up and waved at her.

"Hey, doll!" he exclaimed. "What're you doin' around here?"

"I could ask you the same question!" countered Amy. Irvine flinched by managed to keep his composure.

"Eh, just playin' hooky. Seriously, though, I happen to be talking with a very good friend of mine!" Amy paused, and briefly glanced around the room. Nobody was there besides Irvine and herself.

"I don't see anyone."

"Oh, she's off gettin' a breath of fresh air," pointed the older man. "Hey, why don't you stick around, and I'll properly introduce you? Here, have a seat!" The smile he gave her was extremely convincing, and since Amy had nothing to do until Selphie let out of class, she sat down next to the tall man. Secretly, Amy though that Irvine was very handsome, although a little on the flirty side. She didn't mind that a bit--in fact, if he had even given her a wink, she would have felt better. Back in "her" world, not too many men winked their eyes in her direction.

"So, like, where do you come from?" asked Irvine as Amy joined him. She almost told him, but caught herself before her mouth could open. Instead, she gave the same excuse that Zell had concluded.

"I… don't know," she lied. "I think I lost my memory, and I don't know where I am or where I came from."

"Oh." Irvine's voice grew quiet, and he hung his head in embarrassment. "Sorry."

"Oh, it's no problem!" smiled Amy. "I'm getting a lot of help from everyone here, especially Zell and Selphie."

"Yeah, if anybody'd be a good pal, it'd have to be them," he shrugged. Just then, Irvine's "friend" came back from her breath of fresh air, and gave an observant smile as she saw Amy.

"Miss Mizuno, right?" Amy nodded her head and rose to extend her hand.

"Miss Trepe? Ah, good, I'm glad I remembered." Quistis smiled lightly, and sat down between Irvine and Amy.

"So, Miss Mizuno, what are you doing here?" she asked. Amy shrugged.

"Just looking around. I'm going to see the whole Garden, and maybe I'll remember something along the way."

"Good luck," saluted Irvine. "Oh, I forgot. This is the lovely Quistis Trepe, a former instructor and a personal friend of mine. Call her Quisty if you're brave enough."

"Irvine!" Quistis hissed the man's name through her teeth, and gave him a _very_ bitter glare. He smiled weakly and apologized.

"Sorry, doll. Hey, you can call me Irvy, ma'am."

"I'll… try," mumbled Amy, a weak smile of her own plastered on her face. Quistis sighed helplessly.

"Miss Mizuno, if you would like any assistance, any at all, feel free to ask me. Other than the Headmaster and Matron, I could probably help you out the most."

"Thank you, that's very nice of you, Miss Trepe," said Amy. "Oh, speaking of which, do you think that I could possibly speak with them sometime in the future?"

"…I can probably arrange something," said Quistis after a pause. "They'll probably want to chat with you, anyway. Feel free to go up there anytime, miss."

"Thank you, I will." Amy smiled and stood up, and excused herself from the Quad. She allowed Irvine to kiss her hand, and waved good-bye as she left the Quad.

"Sorry," shrugged Irvine, who had just gotten one of Quistis' looks.

"(We'll talk about this later,)" she whispered, gently fingering her whip. Irvine's face lit up like a lantern, and he smiled like the adolescent he often acted like.

"Sure thing, ma'am," he grinned, and Quistis shook her head in defeat as he leaned forward to give her a good-bye peck on the cheek.

Leaving behind two more possible friends, Amy smiled and hummed to herself as she walked towards the cafeteria. After eating a brief snack, she would guide herself to the elevator and ride up to the third floor, where the Headmaster's office was. She knew that she would have to speak with him eventually, so perhaps it was better to get it over and done with now.

_I'm starting to like it here!_ exclaimed Amy mentally. _Everyone's treating me so well! It's almost as if I'm already a part of their school!_ As she smiled and hummed, she stumbled across the cafeteria. Despite the fact that there was class in session, the line was considerably long.

"Now that's strange!" exclaimed Amy to herself. "There's class, and yet the line's long!"

"We don't have class today," mentioned one of the students. Amy smiled weakly, and without saying another word, she joined the line. Hoping against all hope that the servers took her money, she let out a sigh and began to wait.

And wait.

And wait.

And wait.

And wait.

Finally, after fifteen shocking minutes of waiting, Amy managed to get to the head of the line--only to discover that they were out of hot dogs.

"No problem," she said. "I really don't want any hot dogs anyway."

Dead silence.

A collective gasp erupted from the cafeteria, and several students froze in horror. One young man still had his mouth open, ready to engulf the hot dog he held; a group of girls sat in shock as they stared at Amy. Somebody had dropped an empty plate, and a young boy who was squirting mustard onto his burger was catatonic, unaware that he was still squirting. Amy swallowed nervously, and wondered what in the world could have been so shocking.

"Did… did I just hear you correctly, ma'am?" stuttered the lunch lady. "Did… did you just say that you did not want any hot dogs?"

"Y… es…" murmured Amy slowly. The lunch lady shook her head in awe.

"Uh…… right. You feeling okay?"

"Yes…"

"Are you sure?"

"…Yes…" The lunch lady sighed again. Suddenly, a voice startled Amy.

"You don't like hot dogs!!? Man, that's like… not normal!!" She jumped slightly, and turned around to see who had blurted out the comment. No surprise there--it had been Zell.

"I beg your pardon?!" stated Amy, her voice slightly higher and more offended than normal. Zell grunted and scratched his head.

"Sorry, sorry… I'm really sorry… I forgot, you've probably never _had_ one of Balamb Garden's famous hot dogs." Sighing in apology, Zell strutted fort and slammed his palm against the counter.

"Gimme two hot dogs!" he ordered.

"Sorry, no can do," shrugged the line lady. "We're all out."

"Aw, bull!" spat Zell. "Hey, listen here! My friend Amy here has amnesia, okay? She's been having it rough, and I thought I might wanna help her out, okay? So, like, gimme a hot dog or two, and I'll pay you whatever you ask!" The lunch lady let out a dramatic sigh, but shook her head and complied to Zell's wishes. In about ten minutes, two hot dogs had been especially made for them, and with a grunt, the lunch lady passed them to Zell.

"One-hundred Gil," she said.

"A HUNDRED GIL!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!? WHO DO YOU THINK I AM, THE TYCOON OF CENTRA?!?!?!?!!?!?" The entire cafeteria--no, the entire _Garden_ shook as Zell's voice rose to an unbearable level, and everyone within a two-mile radius had to cover their ears. The cafeteria lady, though, had expected this reaction.

"You said you'd pay whatever I asked," she noted dryly. Zell snarled, and let out a very long and nasty string of expletives, derogatory words, and curses so vile and so disgusting, they made Amy's face turn radish-red. With one final blasphemous phrase, Zell fished into his pocket and paid the lady her fare.

"Uh, excuse me," she noted, "but that was one-hundred Gil _each_."

"SON OF A--!!" Zell growled, and nearly spat out liquid magma. With another angry huff, he dug deeper into his pockets and slammed the hundred Gil on the counter. "Humph!" he snorted. "These had better be the best freaking hot dogs I've ever tasted, or else!!!" With a final offensive gesture, he grabbed the twin buns and stormed off to the nearest table.

Amy, needless to say, was flabbergasted--and yet, somewhat amused.

"It's not too big of a deal," she squeaked. Slowly, almost hesitantly, she slipped into her chair across from Zell, who was still angry. He let a few more disgruntled phrases escape his mouth.

"Rotten no-good misers," he muttered. "They think they can charge that much for two measly hot dogs?! Well, these had better be worth it!" With a snort, Zell's hand dove for the dog, and half of it vanished into his mouth. His face contorted into a twisted, boyish glee, and a squeal of delight escaped his mouth.

"Oh, _man_!" he shouted. "This _IS_ the best hot dog I've ever eaten! Man! I've _never_ had a fresh one before!! Mmm!! Mmm!! Delicious! Scrumptious! Delectable! Oh… oh, heavenly… Oh, I think I'm in love…" Zell began to cry, and tried his hardest to savor every bite without stuffing the entire thing into his mouth. Amy gave him a weird look, and slowly nibbled at the treat herself. Apparently, Zell was right: this one little foodstuff had been worth the trouble they went through.

"Oh, wow!" squealed Amy. "Zell, you were right! These are wonderful! They're the best thing I've ever eaten in my entire life!!"

"Hahahahahahaha!! Then you know how everyone else feels!" he laughed. Amy smiled, and apologized for ever doubting the value of the Balamb Garden hot dog. From that day forward, she vowed to get up extra early so she could be first in line.

After finishing the delicious hot dog, and thanking Zell for buying one for her (he declined her offer of paying him back), Amy set about going to the Headmaster's office. She noted that it was directly across from the main gate, so she had to backtrack from the quad and infirmary before she arrived. Hoping that it was okay that she went up there without permission, Amy pressed the "3" button and hoped for the best.

__

Ding! went the elevator door. Amy got on, and it quickly rose to the third floor.

__

Ding! it went again, and she slowly stepped out.

Tentatively, she knocked on the Headmaster's door. A warm "Come in!" came from beyond, and Amy obeyed the statement. Opening the door, she smiled as she saw a middle-aged man hunched over some papers, his pen scribbling madly. From what Amy could perceive, he looked to be in his late forties, with light brown hair that started to suggest his age. A red vest covered his white long-sleeved business shirt, and a fancy vermilion tie was around his neck. He had spectacles, and an honest face, and to Amy's observations, he was left-handed.

"Excuse me, sir…" she began. The Headmaster stopped writing and briefly looked up.

"Oh!" He nearly fell out of his seat in surprise, and Amy couldn't help but giggle a little. The man smiled as well, and stood up off of the floor. "Sorry," he smiled, "but you, uh, startled me. Tell me, Am--erm, Miss Mizuno, what are you doing here?"

"How did you know my name?" asked Amy. The Headmaster smiled weakly, and scratched his neck.

"Oh, um, er, my, uh, wife Edea told me…" Amy nodded her head, and stepped forward to officially greet him.

"Then, how do you do, sir? I suppose introductions aren't necessary on my part."

"No," he smiled. "My name is Cid Kramer, and it's an honor to see--erm, I mean, meet you again… erm, I mean…" He sighed, and smiled weakly as he tried one more time. "…It's an honor to meet you."

"And you, Headmaster Cid. I was told that you wanted to speak with me sometime?"

"Yes, yes," he said. Cid walked out from behind his desk, and put his hands behind his back. "Tell me, Miss Mizuno… how did you come here?"

"I, uh… well, uh… you see, I… think I lost my memory. A student named Zell Dincht found me wandering around outside, and was kind enough to take me here."

"I see," said Cid. "So, Zell found you, eh? That's good. And you say you have no memories? None whatsoever?"

"No sir."

"Hm, yes, very interesting…" Cid hummed to himself, and began cradling his chin in his hand. "So… do you like it here, at Garden?"

"I do, sir, very much."

"Hm…" Cid paused again, and began pacing back and forth in the room. "You know, normally we would not accept students your age into Garden… But, if you, ah, prove yourself in a basic examination, then we might allow you to become a full-time student here--that is, if you want." He stopped pacing and looked at Amy, as if to draw out her decision quicker. Amy, however, was stumped.

It was true that she had nowhere to go, and until she found a way to return home, she would have to get used to living in that world. She had a little money, but even if it was the right currency, she would not be able to survive without getting a job. Becoming a student didn't sound too hard, and with her genius, she was a shoe-in for whatever courses they were offering. After a brief moment to think things over, Amy agreed to Cid's terms.

"Great!" he exclaimed. "I'll have Quistis give you the exam. Of course, this will be different than the written exam that lets you into the ranks of SeeD!"

"I understand," replied Amy. "I'm sure I can pass it."

"I hope you do," said Cid softly. Amy blinked in confusion and gave him a questioning look, but he quickly covered up his mistake with an utterance of "Uh, I mean, best of luck, Miss Mizuno!"

"…Right. Thank you, sir." She smiled and bowed her head, and he saluted as she left for the lower regions of Garden. Once she was out of sight, Cid sighed and rubbed his eyes wearily.

"I hope it's true…" he whispered to himself. "Please, Hyne, let it be true. Let it really be her, please…"

__

We've missed you, warrior of ice.


	6. Return of the Ice Warrior?

VI: Return of the Ice Warrior?

Cid only had to look at Amy's test scores for a brief time before making his conclusion. Sure enough, she had passed it with flying colors. In fact (he noted grimly), there had only been one other student of Garden who had ever gotten a perfect score on the entrance test--at least until Amy showed up.

"Very impressive, Miss Mizuno," smiled Cid. "It seems as if you're overqualified for Garden. In fact, I'm surprised that you were able to do so well with your memory in its current state."

"Well, ah…" Amy smiled sheepishly, and tried to formulate an excuse for her sudden genius. She knew that no amnesiac would have passed the test that she had been given, but unless she wanted suspicion, she had to think of something.

"No need to say it," smiled Cid. "It just looks as if your memory's returning. And at a very fast rate, to boot!" The two of them smiled, although Amy's grin had a hint of relief in it. She was glad that the Headmaster saw things that way.

"Well, I'm trying very hard," she said. Cid nodded his head, and gave a salute.

"I only hope you continue with this current level of excellence, Miss Mizuno. Well, since you did so well, I really see no reason why we can't make you a full-time student. The semester started two weeks ago, but we can always make exceptions. It might be difficult fitting in, so I'm going to issue you to Instructor Grate's class. You'll find your leverage in her class the easiest, but the challenge is also very much present." Amy bowed her head, and suddenly caught herself as she realized that this was a military institution. She smiled sheepishly, and snapped an impressive salute.

"I'll have Selphie issue you your own school uniform," continued the Headmaster. "You two seem to be the same size, so I'm sure she won't mind letting you have her old outfit. I hope you take hand-me-downs well."

"I, ah, am sure I will, sir," replied Amy. Cid smiled and nodded his head.

"Good, good. Well, since this is a Sunday, class starts tomorrow, so I hope to see you hitting the grindstone!"

"Yes, sir!" Amy performed another salute, and was dismissed from Cid's office.

Amy let out a deep breath as she took the elevator from the third floor to the first. So far, everything was going better than she had hoped. People in this new foreign world were already accepting her. She had acquired something of a friend, and had even gained the respect of the Headmaster and the resident doctor. Now, she even had a place to stay and learn about the new world. Until the time came when she could find a way back to her own world, she would have to live here for the time being.

As the elevator got off, Amy paused and knew right then and there that her timing was bad. Before her stood Selphie and Zell, and their usual entourage of Irvine and Quistis, along with a few others she didn't know. Across from them, looking very angry and irritated, were three hostile persons. None of them were unarmed.

"I don't get it!" shouted one of them. "Why are you jerks being so mean to me?! All I did was wander in here looking for some help, and you treat me like some kind of mongrel!!"

"Ugh, only because you deserve it!" squealed Selphie. "I'm surprised you even had the gall to _look_ at this place again, let alone come here!"

"What _are_ you talking about?" demanded the one who was speaking. "Like I said before, I've never seen this place in my life! None of you look familiar at all! I just came here for some help, and you're treating me like I've got a disease!!"

"Still, Selphie has a point," said Quistis in a calm voice. "You should not have come back here. You knew that this would happen."

"WHAT!! What in the world are you saying?!" screamed the other. "I don't know anything!!"

"You're kidding, right?" scoffed Zell. "You mean to tell us that you don't remember a thing?"

"No, nothing," insisted the other man. Zell growled, and scratched his neck in confusion.

"Yeah, right…"

"Look, I'm telling you that I can't remember a thing!" insisted the man. "All I know is that these people you see me with have been helping me ever since I woke up! They may not be the peak of perfection, but they're a whole lot nicer to me than you all have been!" One of the shouting man's companions smiled proudly, but the other remained still as stone. Amy swallowed, and couldn't help but wonder what was going on. Silently, she made herself hidden. Her presence would not help things at all.

"Are you _certain_ you have amnesia?" asked Quistis. The man who had done all the talking so far sighed wearily.

"Yes, positive. I don't even know my own name!"

"Ha, what a strange twist of events!" coughed Zell. "First we stumble across a girl named Amy Mizuno who's lost her memory, and then who should come strolling into our Garden with the same condition but old Seifer!"

"Who?" Zell froze, and choked on his own words as he gawked at the other man. He was either crazy, lying, or genuinely telling the truth. Zell heavily favored the first two.

"You… are you serious?" he squeaked. The man who had been talking nodded his head.

"Yeah. Geez, how many times do I have to tell you people?!"

"CALM," blurted one of his companions. The man sighed and apologized.

"I'm sorry, miss… Oh, uh, what did you say your name was?" The woman sighed, and tapped her chest with her hand.

"FUJIN," she identified. She tapped the arm of her companion, and blurted "RAIJIN." Then she pointed to the man who had been talking, and blurted out "SEIFER."

"I…… see," muttered the supposed-amnesiac. He swallowed, and stared at the sky. "So… my name is 'Seifer'…"

"That's it, he's gone nuts!" blurted Zell. He threw his arms up in the air, and walked away sighing and muttering. Quistis, ever-thoughtful Quistis, held her hand to her chin as she gazed at the questionable trio.

"Seifer… what was the first thing you remembered doing?" she asked. The man sighed sadly and racked his brain.

"The first thing…" he said, "was waking up somewhere very empty. I… I couldn't see anything around me, except for what looked like a ruined building. I wandered around for awhile, but I didn't know anything: who I was, where I was, or how I got there. The only thing I had that reminded me of myself was this." He then proceeded to showcase what looked like a cross between a sword and a rifle. Amy swallowed as she gazed at the lethal weapon.

"I found… uh, these two wandering around shortly thereafter," said the man, pointing to the ones identified as Fujin and Raijin. "They thought they knew who I was, so they sort of helped me out. We went fishing after that, and we all had a long talk. I… think they know who I am, but I'm not sure."

"Hey, you were the one who didn't believe us, ya know?" said Raijin. "We tried tellin' you everything, but you wouldn't hear a word of it."

"STUBBORN," said Fujin with a smile. Raijin nodded.

"Yeah, as always." The man called Seifer snorted, and shrugged as he focused his attention to the others.

"So, you see," he said, "they've been helping me out ever since. They even suggested coming here so that I could be helped. Huh, what a mistake that was!" Seifer snarled and crossed his arms, and for perhaps a short while, the group felt sympathetic.

"I see," mumbled Quistis thoughtfully. She walked over to Seifer, and gave him an inquisitive look. "Seifer, does the name 'Squall Leonhart' mean anything to you? Or 'Edea', or 'Ultimecia'?"

"No, nothing," sighed Seifer. "I barely recognize what you all say my name is. My mind is… completely empty."

"Huh, for once you're right!" spat Selphie. Quistis jerked around and gave the girl a very cold glare, and she apologized in record time.

"This… may change everything," said Quistis quietly. "Although there are many people who will never forgive you for what you have done, I suppose that it would be pointless to hold grudges if you don't even know why we're mad. That… really would not be fair." Seifer smiled lightly, and looked as if a yoke had been lifted off of him.

"Thanks," he sighed. "That's really nice of you. Maybe--_maybe_, now--I might stay here for a little while longer, at least until I get my bearings straightened out. That is, if you'll have me."

"I s'pose it wouldn't hurt," shrugged Irvine. "Heh, there's bound to be a lotta people round' here that'll, uh, help you out…"

"Maybe that wouldn't be such a good idea," mused Selphie. "I mean, I like him a lot more now that he's lost his memory!" Irvine snorted, and crossed his arms as he regarded his jovial friend. With a silent salute, he left the area to attend to his own business. Selphie followed suit, and soon everyone else who had gathered around was leaving. Only Amy (who had hidden very well), Quistis and the three rogues were left.

"There are no comforting words that I can say to you now," she said, bowing her head slightly. "But… while you're here, try and make yourself at home. You were right to believe that this place would help you. After all, you grew up here." She smiled lightly, and left to attend to her own duties. Seifer sighed, and scratched his neck.

"What a day," he sighed. "Well, ah… sir and ma'am--"

"Fujin and Raijin, ya know?" offered Raijin. "Aw, don't worry. A lotta other people get it wrong too, ya know?" Seifer smiled weakly, and joined them as they explored the rest of the Garden. The quiet one, Fujin, turned around just briefly, almost as if she sensed something. Amy swallowed hard, and wondered if the ghoulish one could smell her from that distance. Her heart went up a few beats as the woman stepped closer.

"Hey, Cyclops, you coming?" bellowed Raijin's voice. Fujin let out a growl.

"FOOL," she muttered. "REVENGE SOON." Ignoring her premonition, Fujin turned round and joined her two comrades, leaving Amy to sigh with relief. She noted that, all the while she was standing there, Fujin had her hand on what appeared to be a razor-tipped pinwheel.

After making sure the coast was clear, Amy got out of her hiding spot and journeyed to Selphie's room. The events of the past few minutes were still fresh on her mind, but she had other concerns to address. After the brief stroll around the Garden and into the dorm hallway, she knocked on Selphie's door and was allowed admission.

"Oh, hiee!" squealed Selphie. "How'd the test go? Man, when I took it in Trabia, I _so_ flunked it! I had to take it three times before they let me in! What about you?"

"Oh, I passed it," said Amy simply. Never one to brag, she didn't let out that she had scored a perfect test. Selphie smiled and did an informal salute.

"Hey, that's cool! So I guess you're a student now, huh? Radical! Yeah, student life is really fun, except during test time, hehe!!" Amy smiled at the girl's childishness, and knew that they were going to become good friends in the future.

"Oh, who was your Instructor?" asked the brunette. "When I got relocated here, I was almost a SeeD myself, so I never got to know any of the teachers. So I need someone to tell me how tough they are!"

"Uh, I think I was assigned to Miss Grate," replied Amy. Selphie made a gulping sound so audible that Amy almost smiled.

"Whoa," she quivered, "Instructor Vera Iocaste Grate. I heard she's one of the toughest that Balamb has. Rumor has it, she was one of the members of the famed 'Savage Six'!"

"The what?"

"Oh, come on!!" shouted Selphie, a look of disbelief quite plain on her cute face. "Look, I know you have amnesia, but surely the name _Savage Six_ rings a bell!"

"Sorry," sighed Amy. Selphie made a face and groaned.

"Super-duper-ultra-class-A Bummer! That's like forgetting your own age!!" She paused, and froze slightly as an even more horrid thought crossed her mind. "……You didn't--"

"Seventeen," smiled Amy. Selphie let out a sigh of relief and smiled.

"Okay, so you're not completely in the dark. Anyway, to give you the basics, the Savage Six were among the very finest soldiers this world has ever seen. During the last great Sorceress War--I mean the one against Adel of Esthar--they were a magnificent group of warriors who were openly against the regiment of Adel. General Vera Iocaste Grate was one of them, and if my memory's correct--oh, sorry about that little memory reference. Anyway, I think the other five were, uh, Brutus Franz Milton von Rightfield and Virgil Homer Smythe of Windhill, Morpheus of Esthar, Changeman of the Shumi Tribe, and Turn of Trabia. Let's see…" Selphie mutely counted the names on her fingers, and smiled as she arrived at Six.

"Oh." Amy tried her best smile, but listening to Selphie's speech was like trying to follow a soap opera. The names flew right over Amy's head like a flock of robins.

"Sorry," giggled Selphie. "Too much information? Don't worry, Instructor Grate's a really nice lady. If you say the right things, she'll tell you about the Savage Six sometimes after class--and if you're _really_ lucky, she'll talk about it _during_ class as well!" Amy smiled again, and suddenly realized her whole purpose for being there.

"Oh! Selphie!"

"What's up?"

"Headmaster Cid is letting me be a student, so I was wondering if you'd let me borrow your old uniform. Ah, I mean, if that's all right with you."

"Sure!" smiled Selphie. "Hold on just a sec. It's in my closet."

_"Oh wow, you look cute!!"_

That sentiment still rang loud and clear in Amy's ears. It was late Sunday, and almost time for bed, so she was using her free time to wander outside for a little while. Upon displaying her uniform to Selphie, the sunny brunette couldn't help but squeal. Amy had to admit that she did look rather silly in a way, but it was not too much different from the other uniforms she wore at Albert Einstein School for the Gifted.

Amy, still lost in her thoughts, was unaware of where she was going. Her mind began to wander as she walked. _Would I do okay in class? Would I find Instructor Grate's teachings to be at my current level? What kind of things do they teach here, anyway?_

What was the deal with those people I saw earlier? That man… he has amnesia, real amnesia… And in a way, I do too… But who is he, really? Who is Adel? Who was Ultimecia? And… and… why is everybody acting strange when I tell them my name?

As Amy continued to have these thoughts, she absentmindedly wandered into the training room…

A roaring sound disturbed her thoughts, and as Amy looked up, she froze in fright. Her heart literally stopped beating, her blood turned to ice, and tubs of sweat ran down her body. She could not even breathe, as she stared directly into the roaring mouth of a real-live Tyrannosaurus Rex.

"I, I, I, I…" She stuttered, too dumbstruck to believe this was happening. She didn't know what to believe, the fact that a T-Rex was actually walking around, or the fact that it was staring straight at her. Had she been any other girl, Amy might have fainted or else screamed. But she kept her frozen position, even as the T-Rex roared even louder. The word _lunch_ was visible in its eyes, and even though she was scared enough to soil herself, Amy got her head straight and dived out of the way of the beast. She would have all the time in the world to think about how it got there; right now, she needed to survive.

Knowing full well that she could never defeat the creature as she was, Amy had little choice but to try her transformation. As luck would have it, her pen was still with her, but what of its powers? Hastily, Amy looked around the room to make sure nobody was watching (_Which is more important, your identity or your life?_ she had to wonder), Amy bit her lip and tried the transformation.

"Mercury… Super Star… Power!!!"

In a flash of icy blue light, Amy ceased to exist and the frosty femme Sailor Mercury took her place. She paused just long enough to sigh with relief before tackling the beast before her. Though large, the Rex was easily fought: not only was it slow as a rock, it was exceptionally weak against water/ice attacks. Sailor Mercury found this out the fun way, as a spray of Shine Aqua Illusion blasted the beats with frosty cold.

Elsewhere, unbeknownst to Mercury, there was another person in the training room. Five minutes ago, a restless Zell Dincht had marched into the room, and was already in the process of clobbering a Bite Bug. But as he squished the insect, he heard the sound of a Rex roaring out in pain, and what might have been _ice_. Grumbling, Zell scurried around until he could see what was going on.

He immediately gasped in horror at the sight--but before he could be found out, Zell wisely covered his own mouth. This was _unbelievable_!! Here he was, actually watching the… the…! He couldn't _stand_ it! Zell was about ready to _explode_!! He hastily bolted out of his position, and ran out of the room so fast that he actually made smoke sprinting out. He just _HAD_ to tell this to everyone!

"Guys!!!" he screamed, flailing his arms around. A small group of students noticed the crazed martial artist, and paid him no heed until he spoke his next exclamation. "You're not gonna believe this!! The, the Ice Warrior!! The Ice Warrior!"

"What about her?" asked a skeptical male student. Zell nearly vomited out his answer.

"She… she… she's back!!!!"

Closing comments: This has zero relevance to the story, but does anybody think it's weird that the song for Balamb Garden is called "Ami", and in Japan, Sailor Mercury is also called "Ami"? So, basically, you could say that…… *dramatic pause* Ami is in Ami? *puts my pinkie to my mouth, ala Dr. Evil* ………You don't get it. :P Charlatans!!!!!


	7. Another Sky

VII: Another Sky

Amy let out a sigh as the water gently picked at her body. She had defeated the dinosaur with almost no problem at all, but she had also received quite an unruly amount of sweat in the process. This was thankfully remedied by taking a trip to the dorm's shower. Amy was thankful for the device, and the fact that she would have privacy. Most high school shower rooms were much more… open.

As she allowed the water to fall on her head, Amy opened her mind into thought. She contemplated about many things: her parents, her school, her friends, fighting evil by the light of the moon, her first serious boyfriend, the battle with the Void Droid… Garden… Sighing, she soaped her hair and body, washed herself clean for the morrow, and stepped out with a towel around her body and head. Selphie, who was in her nightie, greeted her.

"Hey, girl. You ready for class tomorrow?" Amy nodded her head, and Selphie gave her default sunny smile. "You're either really brave or really smart or really confident. I know I'd be scared stiff if I had to attend Instructor Grate's class. But that's me right? Oh, say! Did you hear the rumor from Zell?"

"Rumor?" Amy had not heard anything since her fight with the Rex. "What rumor?"

"The rumor about the Ice Warrior returning! You know!" Amy stared down at Selphie in confusion, then in horror. Had somebody seen her transform? Was this "somebody" Zell? Was he telling the whole school about her secret?

"…No, I don't," replied Amy slowly. "Who is this Ice Warrior?"

"Aw, c'mon, don't tell me…" Selphie sighed, and moaned out in protest as she realized her mistake. "Right, right, you've got amnesia. Dopey me. Anyway, I guess I'd better tell you about the Ice Warrior, because believe it or not, some people think that _you_ are her!!" Amy's stomach performed a backflip as she heard the news, and it took a lot of effort to remain calm and civil as Selphie began her tale.

_Okay, listen up. A long time ago--well, before I arrived at Balamb, at least, there was this one girl that lived here in the Garden. Like so many of us, she was an orphan, a result of the Sorceress War. Anyway, she grew up in Balamb for most of her life, until her examination for SeeD candidacy took place. Her job was to go to Trabia and rendezvous with Instructor Smythe. Once there, she was to find and defeat the Guardian Force Shiva._

However, Shiva sensed something special in the girl, something that she had never sensed anywhere else. Shiva allowed herself to junction with the girl, and the two almost literally merged as one. To put things simply, it was like the two were almost made for each other.

In time, the girl and Shiva bonded in mind and body. Some people could not tell the difference between the girl and the GF, so they just called her "the Ice Warrior". Now the girl never actually became a SeeD, because she, well… disappeared on her field test in Trabia. The only remnant of the girl was the GF Shiva, but since then, Shiva has never been quite as compatible with anyone else as she had been with this girl. The girl's name--get this now--the girl's name… was Amy Mizuno.

"You're kidding!!!"

"No!" insisted Selphie. "Pretty _creep_-y, huh? That you and her have the same name?! It's even spelled the same! And, uh, I've never seen a picture of the Ice Warrior, but there are a lot of people who are saying that you look just like her!!" Amy could only stare at Selphie as the news seeped into her mind. The story she told suddenly explained so many things: why Cid, Kadowaki, and Edea were acting strange around her, why so many people knew her name, and so forth.

Amy found it very hard to believe that there was another "her" out there. Of course, it might have been a wild coincidence that the girl shared her name, and her looks, and her innate abilities with ice, and her genius… Yes, a strange coincidence indeed…

"So you think that _I'm_ this Ice Warrior, correct?"

"Hon, I don't know what to think," shrugged Selphie. "I mean, it's possible. She had been missing for a year by the time I came to Balamb, so if she were to return, I'd guess that yes, she would have amnesia. Of course, it could be a wild coincidence, but I've never seen or heard of another Selphie Tilmitt." Amy paused, and nodded her head slowly.

"I see," she whispered. "Well, thank you, Selphie. Ice Warrior or not, I'm thankful for such wonderful friends such as yourself."

"Awwww!!!" Selphie squealed in delight, and stood to give Amy a hug. The other girl smiled weakly, and wished her friend good-night as she dressed for bed.

Amy, dressed in the proper uniform of a student at Garden, sat up straight and attentive as the clock struck eight. The students immediately silenced their chatter and stood out of their chairs to greet the Instructor, and Amy followed suit. From the door came a woman in her early forties, although she looked much younger than that.

"Be seated," she said in a firm voice, and all bottoms found a chair. Several of the boys in the classroom began sighing dreamily, and Amy truly couldn't blame them. Instructor Grate, though easily twice their age, was a stunning lady to behold. Her golden-auburn locks fell all the way down to her shoulders, where a sensible red dress covered almost all her body. Muscular arms and legs supported her firm body, and spectacles covered her dark eyes. For a woman in her early forties, Instructor Grate was quite beautiful.

"First, let me dispel some rumors before they fester into facts," said the Instructor. "One, I am a happily-married woman with a beautiful son and a gorgeous daughter, so you can throw out any romantic notions you may have." Amy smiled lightly, but she couldn't help but perspire at the cold seriousness of Grate's face.

"Second, yes I _was_ a member of the Savage Six, and yes I _did_ battle Adel's forces eighteen years ago. I was born and raised in Balamb Town, and I earned my sword fighting degree as a SeeD. Third, yes I was a General in those days, but I have since retired from my duties and dedicated my life to teaching future soldiers.

"Fourth, I have no favorites. You will all be judged fairly and reasonably, with equality for everyone. That means that all efforts to be a 'teacher's pet' will be wasted time. Fifth, I do not fear discipline. You _should._ Sixth, yes I will tell stories about the war and my five comrades, but only as history lessons. I will not divulge personal experiences to you as if you were friends.

"Seventh, if you wish to be my friend outside of class, make sure it _stays_ outside of class. Eighth, I will answer any question any number of times, as long as it is relevant to the topic, so don't be afraid to ask me several times. After all, I am paid to make sure that everyone understands the topic. Ninth, treat any substitute teachers as if they were me, and not a naïve replacement. Tenth, and finally, I expect you to treat me with the respect I deserve. Obey the rules of my class and you will do fine; disobey, and you will be disciplined. These go without exception, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Instructor Grate!!!"

"Good." She smiled politely, and sat behind her desk. "Now that we have that out of the way, I will take silent roll. You have been seated alphabetically, so if you are not in your proper seat, you will be counted absent." Silently, Instructor Grate took the time to go over the names. She checked some off and made obvious "X" marks, but paused briefly as she came to one name.

"This can't be right," she muttered. "It says here that we have an 'Amy Mizuno' in the class." Amy raised her hand, and Grate adjusted her glasses carefully as she gazed at the girl. "Son of a gun!" she hissed. "Don't tell me _you're_…?"

"It's just a coincidence, ma'am," replied Amy. "Yes, I am Amy Mizuno, but I can assure you that I'm not the Ice Warrior!" The class chuckled politely, and Grate had to smile a little herself.

"All right. I guess I'm not the only one who has rumors to dispel." Amy smiled, and without any further interruption, the Instructor continued her class.

Sighing with relief, Amy strolled away from Instructor Grate's class. She had just submitted herself to a bombardment of strange and foreign concepts, such as the Guardian Forces, Sorceresses, the war with Adel, magic, and other alien ideals. She had suffered through her first day fairly well, but by this time, Amy was beat.

Deciding to return to the library, Amy took the elevator down to the first floor, and smiled as she saw Quistis speaking with the man called Seifer. Amy wanted to befriend the boy--after all, he was an amnesiac like her, and he wasn't too unattractive, either. Unfortunately, there were more people present other than the former instructor and the forgetful Jones. There was also the large dark-skinned man hanging around, and the ghoulish albino with them.

The latter, the pale-skinned woman, suddenly snapped to attention as the elevator spat Amy out. She did a double-take, and her single eye flew open in astonishment. The woman trembled, and her mouth hung open in awe. The dark-skinned man noticed this and scratched his head.

"Hey, Fujin, you seein' somethin' strange?" For awhile, silence.

"LIES…" muttered the woman. She shook her head fiercely, and growled out in horror. "LIES!!" Carefully, the pale woman approached Amy, her eye still wide open and her mouth still hanging. Amy began to perspire, and couldn't help but stare at the razor-tipped pinwheel she was holding.

"Uh… c-can I h-help you?" she muttered. The woman quivered, and whispered out a non sequitur.

"NAME?"

"Huh?" The woman grunted, and elaborated.

"WHO ARE YOU?"

"Uh, A-Amy M-Mizuno, m-ma'am…" The other woman quivered frantically, and a single sacrilegious tear fell out of her good eye.

"NO…" she muttered, "NOT TRUE… LIES!!" Her face contorted in pain, and a squeaky growl came from her throat as she extended her hand. Amy flinched as the ghostly fingers brushed up against her cheek, but could only gaze back at the other woman. She, however, was in a different shock, and truly looked like she had seen a ghost.

"Hey, Fujin! What's up?" called the dark man. The woman--Fujin, Amy assumed--sighed sadly, and closed her eye.

"…UNSURE," she said. Amy choked on her own nervousness as she heard a sniffle come from the woman, and her surprise increased as she saw Fujin gaze into her eyes again. The ghostly woman smiled weakly, and quivered as she brought Amy's face closer. Amy's heart nearly exploded out of fear, but was somewhat pacified as her icy-blue eyes gazed into Fujin's fiery-red one.

"AMY?" whispered Fujin. Amy gulped down her nervousness, and managed to nod her head.

"…Y-yes…" Fujin quivered, and smiled sadly. Suddenly, the ghostly woman lurched forward, and folded her arms around Amy's shoulders. Amy could only stand there in a stupor as Fujin began sobbing.

"AMY… I… MISSED YOU…" Amy's eye opened wide in shock, and pushed Fujin away.

"Hey, Fujin, you're not thinking that--" blurted the dark one. Fujin scowled and sneered back at him.

"YES!! HER!! TRUTH!! SEE?" She pointed to Amy, and the dark man jumped back in amazement.

"WHOA!! Yeah, it looks just like her, ya know?" The big guy lumbered forward, and without warning, slapped Amy on the shoulders proudly. "Man!! We thought you were dead, ya know? Why didn't you say anything to us, huh? Had us worried, ya know?"

"Hey… guys…" The thoughtful voice of Quistis cracked through Amy's confusion, and the thin lady stood to break them apart. "Guys… Amy here… is just like Seifer. She doesn't remember anything… at all…"

"Whoa…" The big dark guy jumped back in shock, and covered his face with his hand. "Man… what a bad blow, ya know?"

"NO…" whispered Fujin. "AMY, KNOW ME?"

"Huh?" Fujin made a face, and elaborated.

"REMEMBER ME?"

"…Sorry," sighed Mizuno, "but I don't know who any of you are."

"Aw, bull!" blurted the dark one. "That's…… that's terrible, ya know? Amy, how can you not recognize us, ya know? We're like, your family, ya know?"

"Family?" _Is this the "other" Amy's brother and sister?_ Amy shook her head, too confused to even speak. Reliable Quistis touched Amy's shoulder gently.

"Amy… I, that is, there was a student here with your name," she said softly. "And… while she was here, this student… well, was best friends with Fujin and Raijin."

"So… they think that…" Quistis quietly nodded her head, and Amy suddenly realized why the two had been acting so strangely. She smiled weakly, and gazed at the dark and light ones.

"You are Fujin," she pointed, "and you are Raijin, correct?"

"Yeah," sniffled Raijin, "she's gettin' her memory back real quick, ya know?" Fujin nodded her head, and smiled warmly as she took Amy's hands.

"MISSED YOU," she whispered. Amy smiled lightly. For the time being, she would just have to play along.

"Admit it!" squealed the girl. "You like her!!"

"I… don't know what you're talking about!" blurted Zell. "She's… well, she's like a friend to me."

"_Suuuuuuuure!_" sang Selphie. "A '_friend_'. I getcha!"

"Hey, it's n-not like that!" he muttered. "Yeah, I like her, but… well, you know!" Selphie smiled, and ruffled Zell's hair playfully.

"You're so cute when you try to be romantic!"

"Hey, s-stop that!"

"Oooh, are you _blushing_??"

"NOOOO!!!!" Selphie giggled, and raised her hands to defend herself.

"Eek, sorry!" She kept her smile, and nibbled at her pizza before speaking again. "Hey, like, I _know_ you like her, Zell. I mean, you discovered her, right? And she's got amnesia, so maybe it'll be like a doctor-patient kinda thing!"

"You're crazy!" he barked. "You're absolutely out of your mind! No way a girl like her would be interested in me!"

"So you _DO_ like her!! HA!!"

"HEY, I never said that!!" yelled Zell. "I mean… uh, I mean…"

"Ask her out!" sang Selphie. "Give her some flowers! I can probably hook you up with something; I mean, I _am_ her roommate!"

"Aw, just forget it!" blurted Zell. "It's not worth arguing over."

"Okaaaaay! But just remember, I'll be around if you need me!!" Selphie smiled that same cute and slightly annoying smile, and Zell was left to munch on his spaghetti. Things were definitely getting interesting in Balamb Garden.


	8. Smart Chicks Get All the Guys!

VIII: Smart Chicks Get All the Guys!

A tumultuous week passed for Amy Mizuno. Although, in "her" world, she knew nothing about the curriculum taught at Balamb, she proved to be a fast learner and an amazing student. She was likened to a dry sponge, soaking up information greedily until she was saturated with the stuff. Instructor Grate was not impressed--not because Amy's advancements weren't astounding (which they were), but because…

General Vera Grate had personally taught the Ice Warrior while she was still at Balamb. The child, like Amy, was gifted beyond most normal people, and it often took the best instructors to teach her the most advanced skills. Grate saw a stark similarity between the two girls, and though "this" Amy denied it, Vera believed that it truly _was_ the Ice Warrior sitting in her class that day. How else could a new student advance so much in such a little amount of time?

Yes, it was perplexing, but Amy was perplexed most. She did not expect to take in the teachings so well, especially since she had "amnesia" and knew little about the world. The week had been kind to her, though, as well as the people in the Garden. For the past seven days, she had been acquiring friends left and right, and although she denied any ties with the "other" Amy Mizuno, she was still liked and admired.

Especially by the men!!!

"Irvine! What are you doing here?" The cowboy-like character smiled and tipped his hat.

"Just, ah, payin' you a visit, pretty lady." Amy smiled and tried not to blush. Irvine was "a tall drink of water", as they'd probably say in Texas, and he was as handsome as he was courteous. Amy had learned from her roommate that Irvine was once the object of affections for Selphie, but the two had recently broken off their relationship, again. She had doubts that they would connect again, what with the looks he was giving her now.

"Oh. Well, ah, that's very flattering…" He smiled and winked, and kissed her hand like a gentleman would. A very noticeable _ahem_ came from the side, and Irvine jerked back as he saw Quistis Trepe standing there, looking more annoyed than a lion being taunted by a mosquito.

"Ah… hi," muttered the cowboy. Quistis did not smile, not even icily.

"And just what are you doing?" she demanded. Irvine swallowed, but found his cool again and sang out an apology.

"Uh, just copying off of Miss Mizuno's test scores, that's all." Quistis crossed her arms, and gave Irvine a cold glare that would have made the Doom Phantom soil himself.

"I'm sure you are," she spat. Amy giggled as the blonde took Irvine by the ear, and wherever they went, she was sure that Irvine didn't want to go.

Dragging the lanky sharpshooter to a more private area, Quistis literally breathed steam out of her nostrils like an angry bull, but not even the world's most dangerous _toro_ would've been within eyeshot of the incensed instructor. Irvine would've preferred sleeping on railroad tracks to the inevitable berating he would get.

Suddenly, Quistis pulled Irvine's face towards her own and forced a powerful kiss on him. Needless to say, the gunner's face exploded in shock, and his arms almost folded over the woman's gentle frame. She broke the kiss just as suddenly, and gazed at the young man with a mixture of love and animosity.

"Just remember, Kinneas," she warned, "if you ever pull a stunt like that again, you can… 'kiss' me goodbye."

"I getcha," he sighed. "Sorry. Old habits die hard. I'm… real sorry." Quistis sighed, and tilted her head to the side as her anger faded.

"I can forgive you. Anyway, I guess it's a good sign that I'm jealous. I guess it means I still love you."

"Right." He smiled weakly, and extended his elbow in an offer for dinner.

Amy squealed with delight as the army of men chased after her. Every single one of them were screaming for the new student, some wielding flowers, candies, cards, and even jewelry. She giggled with delight, even though she was out of breath, and quickly regretted any wishes she had made to be the center of romantic attention. _How ironic,_ she noted. _Back home, only a handful of nice guys pursued me. But here…!!! It's a whole new ballgame here!!_

As Amy ran from the hoard of gentlemen callers, the group suddenly skidded to a halt as they saw who was standing in the hall. Amy childishly ducked behind him in an effort to hide, and it seemed to work. The man's tall, muscular frame prevented any boy, man, male, or gentleman from coming any closer to poor Amy, so with heavy hearts, they left her with the dark-skinned man.

"Boy," he sighed, "you've become really popular around here, ya know?"

"Yes, I know…" Amy sighed, and got out of her hiding place. She gave Raijin, her supposed-best friend, a bright smile in return. "Thank you for protecting me from those guys. I would have been smothered to death if you hadn't shown up!"

"Huh. If I didn't know any better, I'd think that you _like_ being chased around, ya know?" Amy chuckled weakly, and scratched her neck awkwardly.

"Why, whatever gave you that idea?" She and Raijin had a good laugh, and the big guy slapped her shoulder gently.

"Don't worry, though. Raijin will be here to protect you whenever you need him, ya know? I won't let anybody but the best mess with my 'little sister', ya know?"

"Right." Amy smiled, and was greatly relieved that she had such a competent "bodyguard". Suddenly, as she saw Raijin smiling down at her, a dark thought entered her mind. "Raijin, you're not… attracted to me, are you?" The big guy choked on something, and scratched his neck awkwardly.

"Uh, well, I kinda am, ya know? But, uh, no worries, cuz' I already got a lady-friend, ya know?"

"Oh? Who?"

"This lady named Xu. She's really sweet and smart, just like you, ya know? She, uh… well, uh…" Grumbling, Raijin's voice grew so low and inaudible that only an elephant could have heard him. "(mumble mumble She saw my poetry I wrote for her)."

"Awww, how sweet!" sang the blue-haired girl. "I didn't know you wrote--"

"Ssssshhhh!!!!" Raijin hastily covered Amy's mouth, and his face grew red. "(Don't tell anybody, ya know? Xu's sworn to secrecy, and I trust you a lot, but if word got out…)" Amy smiled, and solemnly swore to keep her "best friend's" trust.

"Don't worry," she said, winking playfully. "Your secret's safe with me."

"Ah, good," he sighed. "Anyway, thanks for bein' my friend, ya know? Oh, uh, Fujin's been askin' for you. She's off in the cafeteria, ya know? Don't know what it's about, but my guess is that it's a girl thing. None of _my_ business, ya know?"

"Right." Amy smiled, and gave Raijin a quick peck on the chin. She was slowly starting to truly see him as a good friend of hers, and although he was scatterbrained and just slightly stupid, she couldn't help but love him. He blushed lightly when she pecked him, and ran away to do… whatever he did. Amy guessed it was spending quality time with "Xu" or perhaps Seifer.

"AMY!!" Amy smiled as she saw her other "best friend" wave at her, and walked a little faster so she could sit down. Fujin smiled warmly at Amy's arrival, and offered a choice hot dog--which she _knew_ Amy enjoyed. It was devoured in less than ten seconds.

"WILL CHOKE," warned Fujin playfully. Amy winked at her friend.

"Sorry. These things are too delicious, though." Fujin shrugged and pointed to a nearby table, where Zell was currently trying to break some kind of record that involved eating hot dogs.

"DISGUSTING," blurted Fujin. "MYSTERY. WHY LIKE?"

"They're good!" sang Amy (who had gotten good at interpreting Fujin's brief and blunt words). "You should try one."

"INGREDIENTS UNCERTAIN."

"It's just processed pork!" chuckled Amy. Fujin mumbled something and picked at her salad.

"UNHEALTHY," she argued, patting her belly. "FAT."

"It does not!!" Amy couldn't help but chuckle, and nearly did choke on her lunch as she laughed. Fujin mirrored her smile, then scooted in a little closer for the "girl talk".

"AMY, HAVE BOYFRIEND?" The hot dog-devouring girl paused, and blinked in embarrassment.

"Eh, no."

"SHOULD. PRETTY AND SMART."

"…Not really. I just study." Fujin sighed and shook her head in annoyance.

"DENIAL." A difficult pause.

"…I'm… not interested right now." Fujin gave her closest friend a wry smirk, and raised an eyebrow in intrigue.

"FIX UP?"

"No, that won't be necessary," replied Amy. She smiled at Fujin, and tapped the pale woman's arm. "That is sweet of you, though." Fujin grinned, and gobbled more of her salad.

"USED TO HAVE MANY BOYFRIENDS," she said. "RAIJIN CHASE SOME OFF. SEIFER, I HELP. STILL TOO MANY. LUCKY." Amy merely shrugged, and wiped her mouth clean of any crumbs.

"What about you?" asked the blue-haired girl. "Do you have anyone special?" Fujin smiled mischievously, and a crimson hue erupted on her pale features. Amy knew enough about romance to know that that was an affirmative. "Ah, I see."

"WONDERFUL," sighed Fujin dreamily. "NICE, KIND, CUTE. WILL LIKE."

"I'm sure I will," replied Amy. "So who is he?" Fujin smiled, and waved her hand again. Amy turned around to see who was coming, but only saw one very ordinary-looking man. He had regular brown hair and average brown eyes, and was a usual height and weight. He would have made a great spy, for with an image like his, he could hide anywhere and never be noticed.

"Oh, hello Fujin," waved the man. "Is this your friend you told me about?"

"AFFIRMATIVE." The ordinary-looking man smiled, and took Amy's hand to his lips.

"It's a pleasure to meet you finally, Miss Mizuno. Let me just set the record straight when I say that you are a very attractive young lady." Amy smiled an obviously fake smile, and tried hard to chuckle politely. _What is with men in this world and me? Are they attracted to the Ice Warrior, or the fact that I'm mysterious, or what? This is getting silly!_

"SIT!" barked Fujin. The man squealed out nervously and obeyed the woman. Smiling in apology, he gave the girl a quick peck on the cheek; she turned her head and forced a powerful lip-lock on him. Amy tried hard to not look amazed as her "best friend" and this ordinary man smooched.

"Wow," shivered the man once the kiss was broken. "Gee, Fujin, what'd I do to deserve _that_?" She smiled warmly, and tapped his nose.

"JEALOUS," she replied. "KISS _ME_, NOT AMY."

"Oh." The man smiled, and laughed weakly as he rubbed his neck. Fujin smiled, and pushed the young man gently.

"NIDA," she introduced. "PILOTS GARDEN. GOOD HEART. LOVE." Amy smiled, and formally shook the young man's hand.

"See that?!" hissed Selphie. "Amy's getting, like, a bajillion guys swarming after her! I heard even Irvy flirted with her, and you _know_ how Quistis would take that!"

"So, what?" shrugged Zell. "So she's popular with the fellas. It's none of my business."

"You like her!" squealed Selphie. "Admit it!"

"I… I'm not gonna say anything!!" She smiled brightly, and sipped at her drink until an annoying slurping sound came from the straw.

"I'm sure she likes you too," said Selphie. "All you have to do is ask. OOH, I know!! The SeeD exam! Amy's sure to attend! When she graduates, you can ask her to the dance!"

"Aw, bull!" grumbled Zell. "That's like, half a year away! And remember that she has to pass the written test first! And she also has to pass the SeeD exam as well! Do you really think she'd be able to pull that off?"

"Duh!" spat the petite lady. "I think I know my own friend! Trust me, Zell, she'll blow everyone else outta the water! Huh, she's a lot smarter than you."

"HEY!!!!!!!!"

"Eek, just kidding, just kidding!!" Zell grumbled out something crude, and crossed his arms as he continued to watch Selphie eat. Secretly, whenever he knew that she was not watching, he would steal glances over at Amy's table.

_Doggone it, Selphie! Why do you have to stick your nose in my business? So what if I do like Amy? She's definitely not my type; all smart, and sophisticated, and polite… But look at me! I'm a big muscle-head with an even bigger mouth, and yeah I'm smart, but… well, shoot, I guess you're right when you say that I can't compare in the brains department. And she's so pretty, too! What would she ever want with a lug like me?_

Still…


	9. A Garden in Winter

IX: A Garden in Winter

While staying as a student in Balamb, Amy soon discovered that the school semester ended somewhere around late December. The last few days would consist of the written exams for SeeD candidacy, the field test, and the final "real-life" test that separated the students from the SeeDs (the only other time this happened was in the final month of the spring semester; Amy was in the fall semester).

So far, Amy had adjusted well to her new life. In the past few months, she grew quite close to the people around her. From the matron Edea, she learned of the escapades of the "other" Amy, as well as the girl's mysterious disappearance. She grew close to Selphie, and even became co-chairwoman of the Garden Autumn Festival. As for her three supposed best friends…

Though Seifer had been a pain and a half in his old days, now that he had his memory stricken from him, he was a saint. Girls started to admire him more and more, and Amy herself admitted to staring at him at least once. It was later theorized, by Quistis and Edea, that Seifer had lost his memory in something called the "Time Compression", or else it had something to do with "Ultimecia's control abruptly stopping", and thus leading to mental trauma. Whatever the reason, Seifer seemed as reluctant as everyone else to gain his old memories back.

As for Fujin, her relationship with the pilot of the Garden grew very healthily. Though many people thought they were an odd couple (Amy later learned that even this was an understatement), the sight of seeing them together brought warmth to many people's hearts. Few could believe that the Fujin in love with Nida and the Fujin who had held Balamb Town hostage were one and the same.

Raijin, though hardly able to contend in the mental arena, proved to be the big brother Amy never had. Every time a man made improper advancements towards her, the big guy would almost always ward them off. Via Raijin, Amy became acquainted with Xu, who was often responsible for keeping him in line. This coupling was even stranger than Fujin's and Nida's, and some even expected it to break off completely. Amy hoped these rumors were false; she was starting to love all three members of her "family" very much.

As for Instructor Grate, she and Amy became friends outside of the classroom. Grate even told stories about the Savage Six, and how she missed those "good old days" and her fellow comrades. Oftentimes, though, the older woman would mistake Amy for the Ice Warrior, so the blue-haired girl had to question her counterpart's past. Selphie had said that the "other" Amy Mizuno was at Garden two years before she arrived, which would have been about three or so years ago. Perhaps "that" Amy and Instructor Grate had a history……

Well, none of that really mattered now. All Amy concerned herself over was getting through the semester and finding a way back home. Even though she had made many good friends there, and had gained a very healthy though strange reputation, she missed her real home dearly, and would have shaved her head if it meant going back (her parents might have flipped to see _that_).

As for SeeD candidacy, Amy passed the written test with flying colors. Rumors flew about that the test was so strict, that if anybody didn't get a perfect score then they would fail. Of course, since Amy passed, it was logically assumed that she made no error. Instructor Grate became sourly disappointed that very few of her students made the grade; she would have to exact proper discipline later.

Amy's field exam was a tough one. Along with Grate, she was expected to venture deep into the snow-covered Balamb island forest, fight the monsters, and retrieve a rare Guardian Force that only recently became known. The task seemed easy, but Grate assured Amy that finding (and fighting) GFs was no walk in the park.

Letting out some cold air, Instructor Grate saluted the Garden faculty standing watch around the entrance to the forest. Both were dressed in appropriately-warm clothes.

"Instructor Vera Grate and Amy Mizuno reporting." The faculty parted ways and allowed them inside the snowy forest. Amy was even given the opportunity to set a time limit for her task. Since she didn't know the landscape well, and wasn't sure if she could face the GF without her powers, she decided to play things safe and asked for half an hour.

Aside from the fact that Grate was her support, Amy was on her own. She had to navigate the thick forests herself, and was also expected to battle the brunt of the monsters there. As per instructions, Grate gave Amy a GF so her abilities could be enhanced, but Amy refused to use it unless emergencies called for it. It was the Cactaur, a strange cactus-like creature that sprayed deadly needles on all enemies.

Instructor Grate, a master of the dueling sword, fought the enemies like they were preschool children. In fact, even as the deadliest creatures advanced towards her, she rarely even moved except to swing her sword or duck out of the way. Amy had not chosen a particular weapon as her "master", since up until recently she had not been accustomed to such fighting, so she just chose something she felt would suit her best, and picked out a Katal from the collections.

Instructor Grate had little difficulty in fending off enemies, but Amy, on the other hand, found herself desiring to use her special powers. She knew that it was impossible with Grate watching--the woman might think Amy really _was_ the Ice Warrior, returned from the shadows, so transforming into Sailor Mercury was out of the question. Slowly, since Amy was not the fighting type, the blue-haired girl got the hang of battles and ended up a fairly worthy opponent, though of course she would never be as good as her teacher.

Finally, ten minutes into the frosty forest, the two stumbled across the lair of the GF. It was a Sylph, a creature renowned for its impressive healing and defensive powers. It was fairly large for such a creature, easily as big as a truck, and was covered with a glimmering light. It had four translucent wings, and sea-green hair, and a sort of bluish tint to its skin. It halfway reminded Amy of her friend Michelle Kaioh.

"Well, this is it," said Grate. "And we still have twenty minutes to spare. Amy, do you think you're ready to face this creature?"

"As I'll ever be!" stated the girl. Aiming her twin Katals at the Sylph, Amy charged first and cut a mean gash in the creature's belly. The Sylph emotionlessly looked down at her injury, waved a silky-blue hand, and healed the wound before Amy could blink.

"That… won't get us anywhere," muttered Grate. Sheathing her sword, the instructor decided to give her student a hand and summoned forth a strategic spell. Since Amy did not have such advanced techniques, Grate would have to cast the Reflect spell herself.

"Okay!" shouted the instructor. "You should be able to harm it now! But don't use magic, or else it'll bounce right back at you!"

"Got it!" Clasping her Katals tightly, Amy dashed forward and gave the ethereal Sylph two mighty cuts on its abdomen. The creature, vaguely aware that it was injured, healed itself in vain and only succeeded in making her attackers feel more refreshed. Still, it kept its beautiful face, even as white blood seeped down its body and froze in the December air.

"My turn," growled Grate. She dashed forward, and performed an earth-shattering sword technique on the creature. A mighty uppercut hack split the fairy's body apart, and even as her life faded, the girl kept her unemotional gaze. Amy gritted her teeth, and summoned Cactaur to finish the creature off (she had become quite good at summoning in the past few weeks).

Once the needles were dug in, the creature fainted to the floor in a defeated heap. It quickly submitted defeat, and with a little patching-up on Grate's part, it turned its service to Amy. Now with the job done, all Amy had to do was get out of the woods before her time was up. The battle had taken only about eight minutes, so if she hurried, she would have just barely made it.

"Okay," sighed Grate, emerging from the snowy woods after her student. "You did well. Not as good as I hoped, but pretty well. I know you're not one built for physical prowess, but don't worry--there's plenty of positions open for a SeeD strategist. Who knows, you may be a General someday." Amy smiled politely at her teacher's compliments, and spent the rest of the cold morning walking back to the Garden.

Once the ladies arrived, Grate dismissed Amy and gave her permission to idle around until the SeeD exam. The orders would have to come from Cid himself, and it would probably be late in the day, so Amy would have a lot of time to kill before anything happened. Later, she learned that the agonizing wait was actually part of the test. Anxiety often begat adrenaline.

"Oh, and Miss Mizuno?"

"Yes?"

"You'll know of who your teammates are and what your job will be shortly. In the meantime, I suggest you continue to train until you're absolutely sure of your skills."

"Right. Thank you, Instructor Grate." Both women saluted the other, and Grate left Amy so she could go about the business of pointing out the perfect place to have the exam. Amy, on the other hand, took Grate's advice and made a beeline for the training room. Her body quaked with the nervous excitement of actually going into a real battle, and she hoped that she met with success. Of course, becoming a SeeD was unimportant--merely another stop along the path of finding a way home.

Closing comments: A Katal is the object that Kiros used to fight in the game. I wasn't completely sure on the proper name for it, so I just guessed. The Sylph is a GF that I made up myself. As for the other details (Amy's love interest, any possible competitions, Seifer's condition, the strange relationships, etc.), those will be solved as I get to them. Sorry the chapter was short; the tenth promises to be longer.


	10. Rising Mercury

X: Rising Mercury

With the uniform of a SeeD candidate covering her nervous body, Amy stood before the Balamb Garden directory, waiting for Instructor Grate and Headmaster Cid to announce the mission and her individual partners. It was fairly late in the afternoon, so unless the field test was in the next town over, it would probably be dark by the time the SeeD candidates arrived.

Precisely on time, Instructor Grate joined Amy, dressed in the uniform of a very high-ranking Instructor. She was Balamb's top teacher, aside from Edea or Cid themselves, so of course she was decked out splendidly. A double-edged sword was resting in a sheath to her side, and her reddish-brown hair was tied up in conservative braids.

"Well, looks like you'll get points for being early," she said as she greeted Amy. The young woman saluted and gave a proper smile.

"Instructor Grate, what is our mission, may I ask?"

"Just be patient," she replied. "You'll get the full briefing on the way. All I know is that it's in Timber. Ah, here come the other commanders." Smiling tightly, Grate performed a salute as she greeted Irvine Kinneas and Quistis Trepe. Amy smiled and waved at both, and even prim Quistis returned the gesture.

"Hey, doll," greeted the cowboy. "Seems like we'll be workin' together. They discovered I wasn't actually a SeeD when I was goin' to Galbadia, so Matron and the others made it so I could finally fix that lil' problem." He snorted, and rested his rifle against his shoulder coolly. "Huh… we defeat Ultimecia and yet we're still buckin' for SeeD."

"Oh. But what about Quistis? Isn't she already a SeeD?"

"True," nodded Trepe, "but this isn't for my SeeD candidacy. This test is to determine once and for all whether I'm fit to be an instructor. If I succeed, I can get my license back, and if I don't…" She trailed off, and shrugged. "Well, I just won't get it, then."

After a few more minutes of waiting, both Irvine's team and Quistis' team joined up with the group. Amy was flattered that she was chosen as a commander, but her excellent grades and remarkable skills wouldn't allow her anything less. Because she would be bucking for valedictorian, Amy had been assigned three of the most difficult students in all of Balamb.

The students Lawrence, Jerome, and Morris were five minutes late for the initial briefing. Scurrying and scampering, they just barely missed being kicked off the mission completely. These three were the most bumbling, ridiculous, incompetent, and unreliable students that any Garden ever had. It was a miracle they had made it this far at all.

"Sorry we're late!" wheezed Lawrence. "Jerome ripped his clothes!"

"They're too small!" wailed Jerome. "They oughta make'm bigger!"

"No, you're just too fat!" sneered Morris. Jerome stuck out his tongue, which was promptly yanked by Morris. Lawrence laughed at them, but in return, he got his hair pulled by Morris, who seemed to be the boss of the group.

"All right, you knuckleheads, quit clowning around!" barked Grate. The three clowns whooped and hollered as they tried their best to stand in formation. Grate merely shook her head and let out an agitated sigh.

"(Good luck,)" she whispered to Amy eerily. Amy swallowed and realized that she would need every ounce of luck in the world. As the goofy trio received a verbal punishment from Grate, Headmaster Cid walked in, a stony look on his face. His wife Edea, halfway gazing at Amy with her golden eyes, followed close behind.

Amy listened intently to Cid's speech, which was basically a morale booster and a fair warning about the mission ahead. Edea's speech was a little less stirring and more motherly, then Instructor Grate herself gave a speech, which was somewhat flat and hard. Still, the three individual teams were stirred, and each was then assigned to report to Balamb town for the nautical escort to Timber.

With her eyes closed temporarily, Amy sat back and relaxed as the boat puttered from Balamb to Timber. Mentally, she was preparing herself for a hard task, while at the same time trying to push out other concerns. The antics of her team were almost unnoticeable in her state; she was more concerned about her own current situation.

Amy had spent time on and off of class schedule trying to find a way back home. To her reckoning, some kind of dimensional vortex had caused her to rocket from her world to this one, and if her theory was correct, it would take a similar nexus to send her back home. To her knowledge, such a thing did not exist in the world she was in--yet.

As the boat sailed and her team joked around, Amy tried to think of ways she could return home. For the time being, she would walk down the path that had been thrust at her, the path of the SeeD. She _did_ need a boost in physical and strategic capabilities, and should she return home, these would doubtless be helpful.

Before Amy could brood more, a door opened and a young lady entered into the cramped room. Lifting her eyelids, Amy sat straight and paid attention to the young woman. Her teammates had to be snapped to attention by Instructor Grate; Amy recognized the young lady to be Raijin's girlfriend, Xu.

"At ease," said Xu, and the clownish trio slouched. A monitor behind Xu flickered to life, showing a sketchy map of Timber. "We're almost there," began Xu, "so I'll make this brief."

"Balamb Garden received an urgent distress call from Timber at 0900 this morning. The details are sketchy, but it seems that, in the confusion and vacuum left from former President Deling's untimely demise and the chaotic state Galbadia was left in after the death of Adel, a new figurehead has emerged to take control over these two areas. Galbadia Garden has already been given the task of spearheading their part of the world, so it is up to us to take this path.

"A man called Don Christopher Richter has taken position in Deling's absence, and has stationed himself in Timber. The path to his estate is littered with opposition, but all civilians should be inside their homes by the time you land, so don't be afraid to use force." The monitor flashed to a more intricate map of Timber, this time concentrating on a very well-defended manor.

"This is the residence of Don Richter," pointed Xu. "Our main objective is to penetrate the Don's defenses and infiltrate this manor. The Don will be well-guarded, and the element of surprise may not be with us, so be wary. Team A," (and here she pointed to Irvine's group) "your task is to penetrate the outer defenses of the manor and secure the area."

"Roger," saluted Irvine. Smiling, he gave Quistis a nudge. "Heh… next to bustin' y'all outta prison, or goin' face-to-fang with Adel, this'll be like chewin' gum." She made no comment.

"Team B," continued Xu, pointing to Quistis, "your job is to storm into the manor itself along with Team C. Once Team A has everything under control, you should be able to get inside without much hassle. From then on, everything's up to you. Get inside and capture Don Richter, preferably alive."

"Understood," replied Quistis. Xu made a light smile and pointed to Instructor Grate.

"Miss Grate and her units will spread out accordingly. If none of the teams get the job done, leave it up to her. If necessary, retreat. There is no shame in backing out of a fight if you cannot avoid it, and we don't want casualties."

"I'm sure we won't fail," assured Grate. "Mr. Kinneas is right. Compared to what the Savage Six was doing back in the old days, this will be like swatting flies. I'm sure everyone will do their part." Smiling politely, Xu folded her hands behind her back and made sure that everyone was clear on the matter. Amy, who was commander for Team C, would probably have the burdensome job of storming into the manor and taking the Don with her. It wouldn't be easy, and with her team, it would prove next to impossible.

She smiled.

"Go, go, go!!" Xu ushered the teams out frantically. Logically, since this would be a large-scale operation, there were considerably more teams than just A, B, and C. The fact of the matter was that many of these teams would be the support for Irvine, and others still would sneak into the manor using more subtle methods. These three teams, consisting of the most promising students (and three goofballs), would be doing the brunt of the work.

Irvine and his large party of five scattered first, their weapons ready. Light opposition was already waiting for them at the beaches of Timber, but were all mowed down by the sniper and his crew. Other teams spread apart to take down several pockets of resistance, and a few remained behind to secure the beaches.

Following Quistis and Irvine, Amy scrambled up the slope that led to Timber. Both Quistis and Irvine seemed to shake off the opposition without even flinching; Amy's cronies were having trouble just staying organized.

"Lawrence! Cover me! Jerome, Morris, you two stick to my flank! Keep a tight formation!" Amy barked out orders, but the poor stooges could only run around and bump into each other (literally). Sighing, Amy decided it was best to hold the entrance of the town until her crew was more organized. _This might take a very long time,_ she grumbled to herself.

Storming past the entrance of Timber, Irvine's team rushed past blockades of soldiers and made it as far as the walls of the manor. Awaiting them were at least a hundred followers of Richter, some armed with more than two weapons.

"Teams D through G, cut through the very heart of their forces! Straight through! I'll support you!" he shouted. The four groups understood and broke through the gate; some scaled the walls with grappling hooks. Quistis, knowing there were soldiers by the bushel on the other side, threw a canister of tear gas over the side of the wall. Gas masks were applied and more SeeD candidates passed through the blockade.

As for the former instructor, she designated a few other teams to create a pincer attack by climbing over the east and west sides of the walls. Using her own whip as a grappling hook, Quistis scaled the wall and plummeted to the inner courtyard, a gas mask hiding her face.

Meanwhile, Amy's team plowed through the remainder of the outer defenses--somehow. When they finally reached the manor itself, one SeeD candidate had been kind enough to blast the gate open with dynamite, so the entrance was open for all. Inside, a fog of tear gas seeped through, forcing Amy's team to wear gas masks.

All around the inner courtyard, soldiers were coughing and wheezing, most of them too occupied to fire their guns. Several deft punches and kicks from Amy knocked them down for the time, and even the bumbling trio of Lawrence, Jerome, and Morris managed to knock a few down (mostly by accident).

Amy hurriedly passed by Irvine and a few other teams on her way inside the manor. He gave her the thumbs-up, assuring her that everything was running smoothly. She grinned and ran past the cowboy's team, hoping that they could keep the outer courtyard safe as she and Quistis stormed into the dreaded manor itself.

A small force of soldiers bearing nightsticks came forth and engaged in horrible combat. Not wanting to kill unless she was forced to, Amy instead sliced away at their sticks, preferring to give each one a kick to the guts. Smiling halfway, Amy's pulse quickened as she sent many soldiers to the floor. She had not even let her fingers brush up against her transformation pen! She was doing so well without ever using her powers!

With the clownish ones occupying the soldiers, Amy ran up the long and winding staircase that led to the next floor. After each stop, she had to either fight her way through or else avoid the crowd entirely. Quistis and her team were stuck already on one floor, but the blonde woman gave Amy the go-ahead to find Richter himself. Biting her lip, she knew that it was going to come to this.

Rushing up the stairs feverishly, Amy kept her knives hidden in their sheaths until a threat emerged. So far, the path up the winding steps yielded nothing more deadly than a few paintings. Eventually, she made it up to the top floor, and the hallway that led to Richter's office. Slowly, carefully, Amy walked down the long path, the décor distracting her slightly as she scanned for clues of the Don's whereabouts.

Finally, she found what she thought would be his door. Taking a few steps back, Amy rushed towards the door and gave it a fierce kick. It broke open easily, though as Amy stormed in with her Katals at her hands, she found four machine guns aimed right at her head.

A slow clicking sound, made from a disgusted tongue, interrupted the frozen silence. From out of a chair on the opposite side of the door stood a healthy-looking man in his mid-forties. He was balding slightly, though a few proud strands clung to his scalp. He had a nice dress suit on, and a tie, but his face gave off no emotion, and neither did his voice.

"Another failed assassination attempt," he said, clicking his tongue. "This is, what, the fourth one? This is really getting old. I'm bound to be setting a few records here and there." Slowly, the man paced towards Amy, gazing hard at her face. "And who are you?" Knowing that it would be foolish to disclose the name of Balamb, Amy replied as wisely as she knew how.

"A candidate for SeeD." The Don's mouth moved in what might have been a smile, and he sighed.

"SeeD," he sighed. "Why am I not surprised? Well, I expected you guys to come get me sooner or later. Hence the bodyguards." The man, who Amy assumed to be the Don, took a deep breath and slowly began pacing around the floor.

"Well, I can't let you escape, Miss SeeD," he said. "I've got to make sure that you never see the light of day again, and you never speak of this meeting with anyone else. I was thinking of gouging your eyes out and cutting your tongue off, but then I considered the fact that that was too merciful." Several of the bodyguards, their guns still squared at Amy, laughed cruelly. Amy merely glared back at the man.

"Do what you will with me," she snarled. "You'll get nothing from me. I may only be a candidate, but I won't bend to your whims. Killing me will get you nothing except a death." The Don snorted again, and approached Amy. Smiling wickedly, he held the girl's chin in his hand and squeezed her mouth.

"Who ever said that I would kill you?" he hissed. "No, I'd much rather--"

"Hey, you guys!!!" A sudden squealing sound erupted from outside, and the Don growled as an interruption stopped him from exacting his cruelty.

"Get him!!" he blurted, and three of his bodyguards rushed outside to confront the menace. Amy was so happy to hear Jerome's voice that she could have kissed him if she had the opportunity. The last guard, unconcerned with the clumsy candidate, aimed his gun and prepared to blast Amy to pieces. She only gave him a glare in return.

"Hey! Quistis!" Wheezing out of control, Lawrence scrambled down the stairs to retrieve the former instructor. Babbling nonsensically, he only got a few phrases out before the wind returned from him.

"Care to repeat that?"

"I _said_ that Amy's in trouble!" he wheezed. "Jerome's distracting them, and Morris is all tied up, so I came down to getcha as fast as I could!"

"Hold on a minute!" snapped Quistis. "What do you mean? Distracting who?"

"Come on, we found the Don!" blurted Lawrence, more or less taking her by the hand. He groaned out in horror as he stared at the spiraling case before him, yet bit the bullet to guide Quistis upstairs. The two of them halted briefly so Lawrence could catch his breath, but he assured her that he would be fine, so Quistis went on ahead by herself.

Hearing the unmistakable whooping sound of Jerome in a panic, she smiled lightly and dashed towards where most of the commotion was coming from. Smelling confusion, Quistis happened upon an open door and paled as she saw a man with a machine gun pointed at Amy's head. With a flick of her whip, she yanked the gun out of the man's grasp before he could even touch the trigger.

Amy jerked around and saw her savior, and was never more happier to see such a face. Both women smiled brightly before duty fell upon them, and together they tackled the Don and his disabled flunky. Quistis snapped her whip at the bodyguard, who got his eye slashed apart from the impact. His fate was to find the floor in a screaming, bloody panic.

Amy, meanwhile, armed herself with her Katals again and dashed towards the Don. A feeble attempt to grab a weapon ended up with a disabled Richter grasping half of a useless gun, the other half having been neatly cut off by Amy. She grinned as he pulled the trigger to the harmless weapon, and a deft kick to the stomach sent him wheezing to the floor.

"Not bad," complimented Quistis. "Who knows, you may make a better instructor than I was!" Amy smiled brightly, and lifted Richter up by his arm. Holding him steady, she guided him out of his room, and Quistis gave the order for all teams to fall back. Slowly, as his men realized that their boss was caught, the enemy surrendered and allowed themselves to be taken into custody.

Of the enemy number, fifty-two were killed and one-hundred eleven were injured.

Of the SeeD candidates, only two were killed, while forty-eight were wounded.

"Ah, good work, team!" called Instructor Grate. She was currently in the process of leading a large company of disabled employees of the Don into a police escort vehicle; other teams were either mending the wounded or taking care of the enemy. The two candidates that were killed were being attended to by SeeDs, and other than this tragedy, the day had been a success and victory was well-earned.

"Well, another successful mission," sighed Xu. "Percy, will you be kind enough to take the Don to the proper authorities?"

"Yes, ma'am!" saluted a young gentleman. He and several others took the Don away, and Amy, Irvine, and Quistis were soon covered by cheering people.

"Seems you all did well," sighed Grate. "But we'll see how well once the full report comes in. Until that time, we'll return to the Garden and rest. Hyne knows that we've all earned it."


	11. When SeeDs Bear Fruit

XI: When SeeDs Bear Fruit

Amy leaned up against the wall, her arms crossed in anticipation. The faculty had informed her to wait until a decision was made on who had passed the SeeD test or not. Irvine, as always, was crouching on the floor with his rifle resting on his shoulder; Quistis was standing between Amy and Irvine, an unreadable look in her face. So far, they had all been waiting about ten minutes.

A few more agonizing minutes passed before Xu came in and announced who had passed.

"Kinneas… Irvine Kinneas… your entire team has qualified."

"_Yeee-haw!!_" The cowboy whooped in excitement, and stood up so fast that he fumbled his rifle. Quistis smiled politely, but nearly let out a scream as Irvine tackled her and locked his lips onto hers. Amy giggled, and considered the romantic show worth the wait; Xu, on the other hand, tried not to stare.

"Erm, right. Uh, Madon Djodan, you have passed…"

"Yesss!!!"

"…and so has Sukizara Uibitsi, and Ralph Higgins."

"Sweet!"

"Also," continued Xu, "I am pleased to announce that Quistis now has her instructor license back!"

"Aw, no way!" squealed Irvine. He grinned wildly at Quistis, who breathed out a sigh of relief.

"That's great," she said. "Thanks, Xu." Xu snapped off a salute and Irvine kissed her again.

"Instructor Grate was pleased with the way you handled the situation," explained Xu. "You kept your head and fought like a true leader. You'd make a great General someday, my friend." Quistis Trepe smiled and blushed just slightly, and was so happy she didn't mind the rough noogies Irvine was giving her.

"Land sakes, professor!" he declared. "I guess we'll have to discontinue our little relationship!"

"Maybe," she said with an intriguing smile. She patted his cheek and kept a bright smile. Xu sighed, and returned to the business of declaring new SeeDs.

"Okay… let's see, we have… Dale Schemer, Obadiah Jones, Marianna Maraii, Amy Mizuno…"

_Yes!_ Mentally, Amy cheered as Xu called out her name, and was so happy that she barely caught the rest of the woman's speech. Both Irvine and Quistis congratulated their friend, and even those who did not become SeeDs applauded.

"Now," resumed Xu, "report to Headmaster Cid's office for decoration. Then… well, ah, the usual speech and celebratory party."

"All right!" yelped Irvine. "We're gonna _rock!_"

"Steady, desperado," muttered Quistis. "You'll have plenty of time for revelry later." In a lower voice, she fingered her whip and hissed seductively, "(_Much_ later.)"

"Hoboy, hoboy, hoboy…" Irvine's face grew red, and the charming lad beamed with excitement. The SeeDs all assembled and went to Headmaster Cid's office. Amy, who was still on Cloud Nine, tried to take things as they came to her, one at a time.

After the decoration ceremony and obligatory class speech (Amy was especially applauded by her classmates; Irvine made a show, as usual, and Quistis kept things straight and true), there was the matter of the SeeD ball to attend. Amy's SeeD uniform made her look a hundred times more sophisticated and strong, but going to the ball would be difficult. Even with her current popularity, she doubted she would dance much.

As she arrived, there were already several people standing around, socializing with their individual circle of friends. So far, Amy couldn't see anyone she recognized. Sighing sadly, she decided to take a brief walk around and see who she could find.

"Amy!" A loud voice suddenly called out to her, and a tall well-built man rushed forward. He was almost unrecognizable in a suit and tie.

"…_Raijin?_ Is that _you?_"

"Yeah, it's me, ya know?" he replied. "I didn't get SeeD, if that's what you're thinking. I'm just here for the party, ya know?"

"Oh. Where's Xu?"

"Ehh, we broke up," muttered the big guy. "Now I'm all heartbroken, ya know? Got nobody to write poems to, ya know?" Amy smiled and couldn't help but giggle.

"Sorry. Would you care to dance with me?"

"Ha, I would, but I think I'd step on your feet, ya know? I'm like Frankenstein's monster when it comes to dancing, ya know?" Amy's smile increased, and in an unusual move, she pulled on Raijin's shoulder and let him out onto the dance floor.

"Don't worry," she assured him. "I can't dance either."

"So we're even!" he blurted. Amy smiled, and tried recalling the dance steps that Lita had taught her. The waltz with Raijin failed miserably, but the two of them probably had more fun tripping and slipping over each other than the actual dancers.

"Whoo… sorry," whistled Raijin. "I'm a fighter, not a dancer. But hey, you're awful nice, dancin' with your 'big bro', ya know?" Amy smiled and nodded her head in agreement. Suddenly, a sharp squealing sound broke her concentration, and Amy turned around to see Selphie more or less dragging Zell with her.

"Hey, Amy!" she exclaimed. "Wow, you look really cute! …RAIJIN! Holy shish-ka-bob, you're cute too!!" Raijin stuttered and smiled weakly as his face turned to the color of an apple.

"Ah, well, thanks…" Humming daintily, Selphie trotted over to where he was and grabbed his arm.

"Hey, Amy, you mind if I steal your date?"

"Only if I can steal yours!" she exclaimed. Selphie's bright face grew _much_ brighter.

"_Oooooooh_, hey, that's nice! Sure, take him! He's all yours!" Smiling impishly, Selphie waved at her friends before sneaking away with Raijin. Amy laughed out loud, and turned to Zell, who was somewhere in-between having a good time and having a bad time.

"Not much of a dancer?" she said.

"Huh? Oh, uh, not really," muttered Zell. He smiled weakly, and scratched his head. "Dumb old Selphie… hey, did you know that she _planned_ on this?"

"What, the party?"

"Nah. She wanted to swap dates with you. She figured you'd have a nice guy out here dancing with you, and she was so intent to get me out here she had to drag me out. Huh, I would've gone if she asked me nicely!" Amy chuckled softly, and extended her hand.

"Well, regardless, would you care to dance with me?"

"Erm…" _Say YES, Zell!_ screamed the young man's mind. _Dude! Say yes! She's asking you to dance! Moron! Come on! Yes yes yes yes yes yes--_

"Eh, sure!" he smiled. Amy mirrored his smile, and the two awkwardly held each other in a waltzing position. The song itself was about halfway over, so Amy and Zell still had plenty of time for themselves.

Slowly but surely, both of them got the hang of dancing to the three-beat tune. Amy proved a better dancer than she thought, and Zell… Well, apparently, Zell was a stark liar. He danced very well, to the surprise of some of the other girls out on the floor. Even Quistis, who was chatting with Xu and a few others, craned her head to look.

The song ended too soon, and Amy laughed out loud as she applauded. Zell smiled and scratched his neck, and complimented his shorter friend.

"Hey, you're pretty good!" he said. "Oh, uh, sorry about all that. You might not believe it, but I took lessons once we beat Ultimecia."

"Ulti-who?"

"Never mind," he winked. "Hey, uh…… well, uh… Do you want to, uh… well, uh…"

"Yes?" Amy smiled and tilted her head to the side, eager to hear what Zell had to say. It was clear that whatever it was, the topic was difficult.

"Would you… like to, uh… well… be my date for the evening?"

"Sure!" smiled Amy. Zell swallowed and did a double-take.

"Whoa, really?" A pause. "ALL RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!!!!! …………I mean, uh…" He stammered, rubbed his neck in embarrassment, and smiled weakly. "Uh, thanks." Amy grinned, and punched his jaw playfully as she took his hand.

The two spent awhile chatting, but before they could dive into deeper topics, a slow song began to play. Amy touched Zell's hand, and asked politely to dance to this new tune. His face turned red; it was obvious he wanted to. Smiling, Amy plucked Zell from his chair, and the two of them journeyed to the dance floor once again.

As the song began, Amy held Zell gently, and the well-built boy hugged her close. Ice Warrior or not, she was a special young lady, and blessed was the man who she gave her affections to. Amy sighed, the passionate words of the song echoing through her head as she danced…

__

Oh, darling! Please believe me! I'll never do you no harm!

Believe me when I tell you, I'll never do you no harm!

Oh, darling! If you leave me, I'll never make it alone!

Believe me when I beg you, don't ever leave me alone!

When you told me you didn't need me anymore, well you know I nearly fell down, and crie-ie-ied.

When you told me you didn't need me anymore, well you know I nearly fell down, and die-ie-ie-ied…

Oh, darling! If you leave me, I'll never make it alone!!

Believe me when I tell you, I'll never do you no harm! (Believe me, darling!)

When you told me you didn't need me anymore, well you know I nearly fell down and crie-ie-ied.

When you told me you didn't need me anymore, well you know I nearly fell down and die-ie-ie-ied!

Oh, darling! Please believe me! I'll never let you down! (Oh, believe me, darling!)

Believe me when I tell you, I'll never do you no harm!!

As Amy and Zell danced, they distinctly saw several other couples taking advantage of the slow song. Irvine and Quistis were holding each other close, the former whispering words of love and encouragement in the instructor's ear. He smiled and waved as he saw Amy and Zell dancing. She had to admit that he looked much more civilized without the overcoat and hat.

Selphie and Raijin were starting to become a good couple. The two, normally spunky and loud, were actually fairing quite well during the slow song, and Amy could have sworn she saw her petite friend kiss her "big brother's" cheek. Raijin's counterpart, Fujin, was holding onto her boyfriend Nida gently, her head nestled comfortably on his shoulder. Amy had to admit that, while strange, the two made a very good couple.

Along with the SeeDs, there was also Seifer there, gazing in awe at the festivities. He had accepted a few dance proposals from several girls, and even Selphie asked him once. Amy felt bad that the fellow amnesiac didn't have a date, so she excused herself from Zell briefly to attend to him (once the slow song was over, of course).

"Hello," she greeted. "You may not know me, but I'm a SeeD in this school now. My name is Amy Mizuno."

"…Oh, you're the one people are saying is the Ice Warrior, right?" pointed Seifer. Amy smiled blandly and nodded her head.

"I assure you that I'm not." He shrugged, and tilted his head to the side.

"So," he sighed, "I hear you have amnesia like I do. It's funny that you've gotten this far without a memory, and I'm just clinging on as it is."

"Give it time," said Amy gently as she sat down next to him. "You know, Seifer, there are people here that are saying they don't want you to regain your old memories. I don't know why they'd say such a thing, but it must have something to do with your past." Seifer shrugged, and rested his arms behind his seat.

"Heh… To be able to forget one's own past… Do you know how badly some people might want that?" A pause.

"No."

"I can imagine," he smiled. "To be able to forget past sins, past mistakes, past events that we wish we could change… To erase regret and longing from our histories… Ha! It sounds like a nice gift to me!"

"But… wouldn't you also lose your more precious memories?" she asked. "The time spent with family and friends? Your first kiss? Your first trip to the beach, or a song you liked? Aren't these things too important to lose?"

"True," he said. "But… from what Fuj and Raij tell me, I didn't have too many fond memories growing up. The two of them, and you too from what I've heard, are the only good things in my life. Everything else was trash." He sighed, and slouched in his chair.

"Que sara, eh?" Amy shrugged, and placed a supporting hand over Seifer's.

"Seifer… I, too, heard that we were good friends in the past. It may seem a little silly, but do you think we could start over? Both of us have fresh slabs to dedicate the rest of our lives to. Let's not start things off by writing down a lot of depression."

"Eh, you're right," he smirked. "Shoot, from what I heard, you were always right! Ha! Good to have you back, Ames! It's been too long since the four of us were together!" Grinning wildly, Seifer bolded out of his chair and glared happily at his friend. "Come on, you lumpy little girl! Show your 'big bro' how well you can dance!" Amy chuckled, and accepted Seifer's offer.

"Son of a gun," sighed Zell, watching his "date" dance with a former enemy. "That Seifer really is a whole nother' person. You'd hardly believe he was once a pain in the butt!"

"Amnesia does that sort of thing," shrugged Xu. "I guess it's all for the better. He does seem a lot nicer now, and much more polite. If he doesn't receive a sudden trauma to his brain and get his memories back, I think he'll be all right. He certainly is becoming popular with the ladies!"

"Yeah…" Zell snorted, and drank the rest of the glass of wine. "Hey, Xu…"

"Don't, Zell," she sighed. "I'm… well… And besides, don't you…?"

"Forget it," he shrugged. "Crap… seems like I'm only attracted to smart girls. First Gwendolyn, then Quisty, then Amy, now you? What's wrong with me?" Smiling tightly, Xu stood up and placed her hands on her hips.

"There's nothing wrong at all," she said. "You just have good taste. Though I will admit that this taste might have gone sour when we dated. Huh, it seems I'm always attracted to the strong guys. Who knows, I might go hound Seifer after this?" Zell made a disgusted face, and waved her away with his hands.

"Ugh, I still don't like that guy… But I guess that's unfair of me, huh?" She nodded her head, and placed a hand on his cheek.

"Go to Amy, Zell," she smiled. "I think you two might be good together. Me? I'm probably too old for you, and besides, I've got a hundred responsibilities to attend to. Sure, Amy's bucking for top position in her class, but I genuinely think she likes you." Zell smiled feebly and shrugged.

"Yeah, well… she's dancing with Seifer now." Xu sighed in irritation, and left Zell to go about her business.

"Excuses, excuses…" He snorted, and smiled lightly as he saw Amy "give" Seifer to a taller, more well-built woman, and decided he had had enough of this party. Without anybody knowing it, Zell left the ballroom and made a beeline straight for the training center. He needed time to think.

Closing comments: The song "Oh, Darling!" is not my property. It was written and sung by somebody with talents far above and beyond my own. Oh, and I don't know the name of the library girl with pigtails (who does?), so I just made one up.


	12. Revelation

Author's note: Sorry for the slow update. I've been on holiday recently, and I've also been busy with other stories, so I haven't been able to work on this one as much as I wanted. I'm updating two chapters instead of just one, so everyone's patience will pay off. Enjoy!

XII: Revelation

Wandering off by himself, Zell left the ball and worked his way towards the training center. As usual, he didn't have a whole lot on his mind. The past few days had been uneventful for him, and with the exception of training new SeeDs, his days had been filled with inactivity. This gave him time to really go out and be himself; whether or not that was a good idea was another matter.

Zell allowed his mind to wander on Amy for a little while. Secretly, he really did like her, but of course, he figured the smart type wasn't his cup of tea. She was brilliant, and thoughtful, and gentle, and kind, whereas he was… Well, he didn't want to brood. Zell was not exactly the most romantic guy in all of Garden--his last attempt resulted in failure--and he usually turned girls off with his loud mouth and hyper disposition.

After a brief trip to his dorm to change into something a little more sensible, Zell jogged off to the training center. If ever he did find a woman that was just right for him, little chance of that, she would probably have to be equally as zealous and strong as he was. Quiet, shy, or physically weak girls just didn't seem to suit him well, yet these were almost always the kind he ended up liking. Fortunately, he didn't spend copious amounts of time reasoning why.

Twin gauntlets gave Zell a sense of comfort as he put them on. This pair was his weakest--not the sorceress-bane that his Maverick gloves had been, but mere protective pieces, too weak to count as weapons. The purpose of wearing these was not to annihilate foes, but to strengthen Zell. One-hit wonders barely qualified as training; he needed the experience of a long, drawn-out battle.

"Okay, monsters!" shouted Zell as he jogged into the interior of the training room. "Come and get me!" No sooner had he said that did a vicious Grendel pop up, its tail-blade shimmering brightly. Zell grinned as he saw his worthy opponent, and began to pound away.

Laughing merrily, Amy departed from the dance, her arms draped across the shoulders of Seifer and Fujin. The former was laughing as well, though not quite as much, since he was not yet familiar with Fujin's brand of humor. The pale girl merely kept a smile, for she knew it was rude to laugh at one's own joke.

"TRUE," she said. Amy chuckled more.

"That's sick!" she giggled. "Fujin, you're so nasty!"

"INHERIT FROM YOU."

"Shut up!" laughed Amy, slapping her friend's arm. Seifer roared out in hilarity.

"This is… this is… oh man, this was fun…" He paused, and keeled over to catch his breath. "I'm so… so out of breath… from laughing…" Fujin grinned warmly, and leaned over to examine her friend.

"HAPPY," she said gently, pointing to herself. "GLAD."

"Yeah…" The three friends shared another smile, and it didn't diminish in the least when Raijin and Selphie stormed in, chuckling like little kids.

"It's true, ya know?" he said. "All of it!"

"That's so sick!" giggled Selphie. Raijin laughed.

"Yeah, I know. Oh, uh, hey Amy! We had a good time, ya know?"

"As did we," smiled the blue-haired girl. She really was starting to see the roguish trio as her best friends, and secretly, she wished to stay in the Garden forever. Amy was becoming more and more reluctant to return home--after all, she would have to say goodbye to so many good friends!

"Well," sang Selphie, "it was great seein' you, but we gotta go! Raijin and I, uh, well we, uh… umm, ya know?!" She grinned, and even clueless Seifer knew what they were talking about.

"Oh… Uh, do you need a chaperone?"

"Nooooooo!" smiled Selphie. "We'll be just fine on our own!"

"BEHAVE," said Fujin coolly. Selphie growled and stuck her tongue out.

"Nyaaaa! I was a perfect lady tonight! Honest!"

"_Sure_ you were," smiled Amy, who would have normally been surprised to see herself participating in such friendly fun. Now, though, she was becoming accustomed to everything, and slowly, her defenses of isolation and study were fading, and a social moray she was becoming.

"Okay, seriously, though…" sniffed Selphie. "We need to get going. Amy, try to keep those two in line. Seifer, no offense, but I hope you never ever ever get your memory back!"

"…You wanna know something?" he said.

"What?"

"I hope so too." Selphie smiled, and both she and Raijin snapped a salute before running off to who-knows-where. The trio that had been left behind continued to stand and sigh as the night waned on.

"Well," grunted Seifer, "I've had a blast, but I think it's high time I went to bed. Ladies, take care, all right?"

"AFFIRMATIVE," promised Fujin. She smiled and patted his cheek. "GOOD DREAMS."

"Right, I'll need them," sighed Seifer. With a farewell wave, he left his two closest female friends and made a beeline for Raijin's dorm. Fujin smiled at her friend and shrugged.

"FUTURE ACTIVITIES?"

"I'm not sure," sighed Amy, stretching her limbs out. "I think I'll pop on by the training room and see if I've improved in skill. I'll definitely shower, and I'll probably just have a little snack before bed. You?"

"NIDA," she replied with a wink. Amy chuckled, and needed to hear nothing else.

"All right," she sang, "but I don't want to hear any 'noises' coming from his room, okay?" Fujin snarled playfully and pushed her friend.

"PERVERT," she muttered. "NOT LIKE THAT."

"Okay," shrugged Amy, giving her one-eyed friend the benefit of the doubt. "I'll take your word for it. Night."

"GOOD DREAMS," responded Fujin. Amy gave her a brief hug, but Fujin pulled on her dress before she could go anywhere.

"Yes?"

"GOOD-NIGHT KISS?" Amy gazed at her pale friend in surprise.

"…You're crazy," she uttered. "You're absolutely out of your mind." Fujin frowned and crossed her arms.

"KIDDING. KISS _NIDA_, NOT YOU." Amy grinned, and gave her friend as Fujin left for her room. Letting out a yawn, Amy stretched again and decided to venture towards the training room. Her physical prowess certainly demanded an examination, and besides, she had never _deliberately_ been there before (that one time was just by accident).

Walking slowly into the training room, Amy was only slightly surprised to find that it was already occupied. The sounds of another person in the midst of the battle was as plain as the grass below her feet, and Amy had to wonder who else was in there with her.

Her question was answered rather quickly, as a sudden shriek from the far upper-right of her resulted in a very familiar fighter running from the bushes. Amy recognized him as Zell, but she had no idea why he was running away. She knew for a fact that the blonde boy was anything but a coward, so what could have caused him to retreat like that…?

Amy's face paled as she discovered the reason why. Chasing after poor Zell was a gigantic Tyrannosaurus Rex, probably even bigger than the one Amy defeated before. Her eyes bugged out to the size of watermelons as she saw the huge dinosaur give chase to Zell; the poor young man could only run as a defense.

"Zell!!" Poor Zell was so concentrated on running away that he did not even hear Amy shout out to him. Reasoning that her Katals would be useless, Amy pursed her lips and considered transforming into Sailor Mercury. A thought crossed her mind as she contemplated: everyone thought she was the Ice Warrior, correct? If she transformed into Sailor Mercury, would that affirm everyone's suspicions? Would she suffer the fate of a celebrity, always having a cadre of bodyguards around to shoo away fans?

Or worse still--what if the _other_ Ice Warrior was still out there somewhere? Would that only confuse people if the "other" Amy Mizuno was still alive? Or even worse--what if she had already died?? What would Fujin, Raijin, and Seifer think? Or Selphie? Or Cid and Edea? Or…

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" Amy's thoughts were abruptly cut off as Zell screamed towards her, the Rex still in hot pursuit. He spied Amy, and nearly collapsed as he fell behind her.

"Oh… man!!" he wheezed. Zell keeled over and caught his breath. "Oh… jeez! Amy! What the… What the heck're… you… doing here?"

"I, uh, guess I came to train," she said. Zell groaned and waved at the air with his hands.

"You picked a baaaaaaaaaad time, Ames. Seems this Rex hasn't had anything to eat since the Sorceress War! I hate to ask, but could you help me beat him?" Amy gazed at Zell doubtfully, and wondered what course of action she should take. Her first thought was to run from the training center and to never come back again.

But the Rex was within visual distance, and too close to run away from, so a fight was inevitable. Amy's stomach knotted up nervously as she explored her three options, none of which seemed enjoyable. First of all, they could both become supper for the monster. _That_ was thrown out. Second, she could fight as she was and hope to ward it off. Amy _knew_ she wasn't strong enough to tackle this behemoth with her own skills.

Third, she could transform into Sailor Mercury. But, that would only…

"AMYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!" Zell yelled out, and shook her gently. "Hurry up, Amy! We need to do something!" Taking a deep breath, Amy realized that she needed Sailor Mercury's powers, and that saving their lives was much more important than keeping her secret, so with great reluctance, Amy stepped forward and brought out her pen.

"…Uh, Amy?" said Zell. "What's that?" She gave no response, and placed many things at risk by transforming. _Oh well,_ she thought to herself. _It was going to come to this anyway…_

"Mercury… Crystal… Power!!"

A wave of ice struck Amy, and her body washed clean with the frozen energies. Pure snow bathed her body, and blizzards covered her soul as the transformation took place. Amy soon vanished into mystery, and the warrior of ice, Sailor Mercury, took her place.

Needless to say, Zell was dumbstruck.

With his mouth gaping open in disbelief, Zell could only stare as Sailor Mercury stood in a battle position. With a cry of "Shine Aqua Illusion!", a wave of frozen water blasted forth, halting the Rex in his tracks. Another blast from her Mirage Rhapsody attack, and the dinosaur was soon frozen in his tracks--no pun intended.

Sailor Mercury let out a sigh of air, gazing at her handiwork and thanking the powers that be that the dinosaur was weak against ice. Slowly, she turned towards Zell, whose mouth was still hanging open like a stuffed fish's. She did not smile at him, only giving a look of calm and wonder.

"…Whooooooooooooooooooooooooooaaaa!!!!" Zell's amazed face burst out in a huge smile, and shining eyes gazed at Mercury as if she were made out of sapphires. "Amy… What just… I… ……Oh, MAN!!! You _are_ the Ice Warrior!!!! You really _are!_ OH, MAN!! This is unbelievable!!!"

"Zell…" Amy sighed, and placed her hand on the boy's shoulder. "There's, ah, something that I need to tell you."

"Eh?"

"Yes," she said smiling dryly. "I guess I have a lot of explaining to do."


	13. It Shall Set You Free

Author's note: WOW! This story is becoming quite popular! All thanks go to M*Y*S*T*L*A*D*Y for her idea. I'm just doing this as a fanfic challenge. I would never pen these two as a couple, but after writing for awhile, I've really gotten into the story. And yes, there _will_ be a Seifer x Lita in the story--but obviously, not right now!

XIII: It Shall Set You Free

Sailor Mercury de-transformed, once again resuming the guise of Amy Mizuno. Zell gazed at the petite lady in awe, his mouth hanging wide open.

"Whoa-ho-hoa!" he exclaimed. "You really _are_ the Ice Warrior, huh?"

"…No, I'm not," said Amy slowly. "But we'd better go to a secluded place before I tell you who I _really_ am. I don't want anyone else to overhear us."

"Uh, oh!" exclaimed Zell. "Of course, right! Hey, uh, why don't we go to the 'secret place'?" Amy gazed at Zell quizzically.

"Secret place?" He smiled.

"Oh yeah! The secret place, right here in the training room! C'mon!" Amy made a face, and despite her growing distaste for the training room, she followed Zell anyway. Together, the two wandered through the steaming jungles of plants and steel, encountering few monsters on the way. The ones they did find were of no consequence, and were easily taken care of by Zell.

The secret place was an open balcony located deep in the heart of the training room. It overlooked a large part of the Garden, and with the night sky above them, the facility glowed like an ethereal night light. The wind was soft and calm as Zell and Amy stepped onto the terrace, and with stars and a crescent moon above, and crickets below, the night was becoming quite romantic.

"Well, here we are," announced Zell. "The secret place. Huh, I haven't been here too many times. I heard it usually has a lot of stragglers around." Amy took little note of what he was saying, and slowly walked towards the balcony. She sighed and leaned over, gazing at the illuminating Garden and the sparkling stars above.

"Pretty cool, huh?" smiled Zell, joining her. Amy smiled and nodded her head in agreement. The young man sighed, hanging his head in amazement. "Man…!" he said. "I still can't believe it! You're the chick I saw fighting the Rex that one time!"

"Huh?" Amy jerked around in disbelief, and gave Zell an inquisitive look. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, uh, I… well… sorta saw you fight that dinosaur that one time," stammered the man. "I'm really sorry!"

"…No, it's okay," sighed Amy. "I guess you know my secret now, eh?"

"Ahuh." A very long pause hung in the air as both Amy and Zell stared out at the sky. The silence was a mixture of comfort and awkwardness; Amy had just shown Zell her deepest secret, and she hardly even knew him. He had seen her transform, and despite the reason why, neither of them would ever look at each other the same way again.

"…So, who are you, really?" asked Zell, breaking the silence. Amy shifted her head to gaze at him.

"If I tell you, will you promise to not think I'm crazy?"

"Heh…" He smiled, and gave her a thumbs-up. "Ames, I've seen a lotta _freaky_ things in my life. I don't think anything you could say would make me think you're crazy!" She shrugged and gave him the benefit of the doubt.

"All right…! But don't say that I didn't warn you!"

"Can it really be that bad?" he grinned. Amy nodded her head slowly.

"Maybe even worse."

_Let me start out by saying that I do not have amnesia._

I did not come from this world, Zell. I am not a native of this land, but another world--a reality parallel to this one. In that reality, I am known as a Sailor Scout, a defender of love and justice in the never-ending battle against evil. I was born under the sign of Mercury, a planet closest to my sun, so I am called Sailor Mercury.

Sailor Mercury has been blessed with the powers of ice, much like the Ice Warrior. But unlike her, I am accompanied by a small group of friends with similar abilities: Sailor Mars of fire, Sailor Jupiter of thunder, and Sailor Venus of love. Together we are known as the Sailor Scouts. Our leader is Sailor Moon, of the Moon Kingdom, and we four are her guardians.

Yes, my real name is Amy Mizuno. Sailor Mercury is more or less an alter ego of mine, something that I--shall I say--transform into. It is through Sailor Mercury that I am able to fight with ice like you saw me. It is true, however, when I say I know nothing about the world you live in. That is because, up until a few months ago, I never knew it even existed.

One day, my friends and I were called in to fight a terrible mechanical monster. We were victorious in destroying it, but as a last-ditch effort, it called forth a kind of wormhole in reality, and with the dark magic of the wormhole, it sort of pulled me into this world. I have been here ever since, more or less going under the guise of an amnesiac, and to be perfectly honest, I would very much like to go back home.

For what seemed like an hour, Amy gazed at Zell, trying to pick out an emotion in his face. She allowed him to absorb the information, but after a suitable pause, she began to grow worried. She felt as if she had told him the biggest lie in all the world, and expected him to believe it. For all she knew, she wasn't far from the truth.

"…You don't believe me," she sighed.

"……That's… unreal," he managed. He shrugged, and returned Amy's gaze. "I gotta admit, Ames, that was pretty freaky. I guess I'm eating my own words now."

"So you really don't believe me…" sighed the girl.

"No!!" blurted Zell. "I, well, it _does_ sound pretty weird, but hey! What reason do you have to lie to me?" He smiled and patted her back; she looked back at him in confusion.

"But… all this time I've been lying to you!" she insisted. "I told everyone I had lost my memory, when I never did at all! I told everyone so much, and I let Fujin and Raijin and Seifer believe that I was their friend, and so many other things were said to so many other people… But… they're all lies…" Quietly, she sighed, and covered her face in shame.

"Hey…" Calmly, Zell placed his arm over her shoulders, and shook her gently. "It's okay. You had a pretty good reason. You're right; if you told anyone what you just told me, they'd think you were some kinda nutcase!"

"And you don't?" shivered Amy. Zell grinned broadly.

"Naw! We all go crazy every once in awhile, but I believe you're the most sane person I've known since… well, Quistis, I guess!"

"So…… you believe my story?"

"Well, why not?" he shrugged. "I figure that you're not the kind to lie to someone unless you got a really good reason. And I've hung around you long enough to _know_ you're not crazy in the head. Therefore, you've gotta be tellin' the truth!" He smiled brightly and patted her back; she merely let out a sigh of relief and smiled back.

"Thank you, Zell. That's really nice of you." Smiling, Amy gently leaned forward to kiss his cheek, and she received an adorable blush in return.

"Aw… jeez…" She giggled, and placed her arm across his shoulder.

"So, Mr. Dincht," she said, "what do you want to do with Sailor Mercury?"

"Well, you said you wanted to go back home, right?" A pause. Amy frowned in thought, and brewed over whether or not she _really_ wanted to go home so quickly. She decided to test Zell on the matter; she'd have plenty of time to think about things later.

"Only if you know of a way."

"Well, not _really_," he admitted, "but… I bet I know someone who does! …Yeah! Hey, yeah! I think I just got an idea… sorta…"

"Really?" Amy stared at Zell in surprise. "You know of a way I can get home?!"

"……It's just a thought," he admitted. "I'll have to make a phone call tomorrow to make sure. But if my theory is right, you might be able to return home in… uh… a month, at the most."

"A _month?!_" Amy stared at Zell in amazement, unable to believe what he was saying. A month?! Why would it take so long? What did he have in mind? And… and… Did she really and truly want to return, now that she had so many good friends here? But what about her other friends, and her duties? Things were just too confusing to think about!

"Well, we may have to do some traveling," said Zell. "But don't worry. That's if we go the long way. I'm sure I could get you back home sooner." Still amazed at the way her current situation was turning, Amy could only let out a sigh of exhaustion and shake her head.

"That's… really sweet of you, Zell. And, thank you for believing me. I need to take a shower before I hit the sack, but will you promise not to tell anyone about my true identity?"

"Hey…" A serious look grew on Zell's face, and with the honor of a General, he covered his heart with his hand. "I would never do something like that. I've learned _my_ lesson a long time ago. Trust me, Amy, your secret's safe with me."

"Thanks, Zell," smiled Amy. She gave him a kiss on his other cheek before departing. "You're a really nice guy."

"…Thanks," he stuttered, and Amy left Zell standing there on the training room terrace to grin.

__

Okay, wise guy. Start kicking yourself!

Why's that? demanded Zell.

__

Because, replied his conscience. _You just offered to kick the girl you like outside of your life forever!_

…………

Yeah, not too smooth, huh?

…Hey, shut up! Did you ever think that maybe she wants to go home?

Did you ever think she wants to stay here, with you?

…………

Thought so.

Shut up…! It's her decision to make!

Whatever you say. You're going to regret this.

Up yours!


	14. Once There Was a Way to Get Back Home

XIV: Once There Was A Way to Get Back Home

_Beep-beep… Beep-beep…_

"C'mon…" hissed Zell to himself. "Pick up the phone…"

_Beep-beep… Beep-beep…_

"Huh…" Zell sighed into the phone, and drummed his fingers on his desk to pass the time.

_Beep-beep… Beep-beep…_

"Jeez, what's going on over there?!" he whispered fiercely. "Are they spending 'quality time' together?" He growled, and the phone beeped one more time before a familiar voice picked up the line.

"Yeah?"

"Squall! Man, where've you _been?_" hissed Zell impatiently. "The phone must've been ringing forever!" A pause. A very audible groaning sound came from the other side.

"I was in the shower, okay?" replied Squall's voice. Zell made a face and apologized. "No… I was getting out anyway. Now what do you want?"

"Oh! Uh, is Rinoa there?" Another pause. Zell absolutely hated the way that Squall allowed these breaks in conversation to occur. Zell never knew what he had been thinking when he was still at Balamb, but now that he had moved away, things seemed even worse.

"…Yeah," came a reply after almost thirty seconds of silence. Zell blew out some steam, and remembered that it _was_ Squall he was talking to.

"Listen, man, could you put her on the phone for me? I really need to talk to her!" Another one of Squall's infinitely long pauses filled the air, and Zell cursed. "Listen, man! This is a long distance call! I don't wanna run Balamb's phone bill up more than it already is!" Another irritating pause told Zell that he was addressing the phone in his hand and nothing else, and he nearly hung up in defeat.

"Zell?" The spiky-haired young man smiled with relief as the familiar voice of Rinoa piped up on the other end.

"Oh, man… Rinoa, am I glad to hear your voice again!"

"Zell, what's this about?" asked a considerably more-cordial Rinoa. Zell smiled and relayed the message to the dark-haired angel.

"Listen, Rin. Think back a long, long time ago. Do you remember me introducing you to a petite young lady with blue hair, named Amy Mizuno?" A pause, one filled with thought instead of annoying suspense, broke their speech.

"…I think so," replied Rinoa. "I really don't remember. It's been a good five or so months."

"Yeah, I know. Listen, Rinny," (Zell loved to give people strange pet names), "I don't have all the time in the world, so you're gonna have to listen and believe every word I say. This is important, now!"

"……Zell, what's the matter?" came Rinoa's concerned voice. "Is something wrong at Balamb?"

"No, everything's fine!" he assured her. "I just need you to listen, okay?" Another thoughtful pause broke their conversation, and Rinoa audibly let out some air.

"…All right. Tell me what you want."

"Cool! Okay, listen up! This is a long story, but I'll try keeping it short! Have you ever heard of a woman called 'The Ice Warrior'?"

"Can't say I have. Should I ask Squall if he's heard of her?"

"Nah, that's okay. Anyway, you remember that Amy Mizuno chick? Well, when she first came to Balamb, a lotta people thought she was the Ice Warrior, right? The resemblance was uncanny, Rinoa, just plain weird! Well, it turns out she's not the Ice Warrior--in fact, believe it or not, she's not even from this world!!"

"……You mean… she's an alien?" whispered Rinoa.

"No, no, no… I mean, she's not from this… uh, _reality_, I guess I should say. She came from a world very different, and yet very similar to our own. I know this sounds like BS, but you gotta trust me on this." Rinoa inhaled deeply, and despite having been forced to hear such unbelievable news, and subsequently having been forced to believe in it, she nodded her head and breathed out an acceptance.

"…All right, I'll trust you," she replied.

"Cool! Anyway, this Amy chick, well… She wants to get back home really badly, right? Now, I don't know how she got here, but I think I know of a way to get her back!"

"Really?" asked Rinoa. "How?"

"I was hoping you'd help me out with that," he grinned.

"Excuse me?"

"…I said I was hoping that you'd--"

"I heard you, Zell," sighed Rinoa. "I just don't understand what you mean. How can I help you? I mean, I will if you want me to but…"

"…Rinoa… you're still… uh, a sorceress, right?" muttered Zell weakly. A pause hung on the line, and Rinoa warily replied Yes. "Well… I was thinking… Maybe you could, uh… I dunno, send Amy back home with your magic?" Another pause hung in the air, one stuffed with disbelief and doubt. It was plain, even to Zell, that Rinoa was unsure of the idea.

"……It's not something I've ever tried before," she admitted softly. "I wouldn't know how to do something like that. I'm sure I _could_, but…"

"Will you at least try?" begged Zell. "_Please?_ She really wants to go back home!" (Of course, Zell was not aware of Amy's reluctance to return to her own world, nor did he know how many friends she had acquired since her arrival.) The inevitable stop in conversation had Zell worried and Rinoa doubtful.

"…I can try," she offered him. "I don't like using my sorceress powers unless it's a really big emergency, but I can try if it's for a friend."

"Atta girl!" smiled Zell. "So, you're gonna help us out?"

"Yeah, or at least I'll try," she responded. "I mean… I guess it's the right thing to do, right?"

"I suppose. Anyway, I hate forcing you to use your powers, and I know this sounds kinda selfish…"

"No, it's okay," she replied happily. "You know I'll do almost anything for my friends, Zell."

"Great! Well, when can we expect you over?" Another pause in the conversation told Zell that Rinoa might not be coming over anytime soon, though perhaps it was just a thought of his.

"…Excuse me?"

"Well, unless you've gotten some super-cool powers that lets you send people to other realities from anywhere in the world, I think you're gonna have to come over here and perform the magic at, uh, close range. …Erm, sorry, that didn't make any sense." Rinoa's usual assurances did not follow Zell's apology; in fact, it was the last thing he wanted to hear that followed.

"……Zell, I can't come back to Balamb. Not for a long time, at least."

"Hey, if this is about Adel or anything…"

"No, it's not like that at all!" replied Rinoa. Her voice grew a little happier, just a little bit. "You know me, Zell. I'm stubborn as a mule. If I could, I'd come over and visit you even if I had released Adel _voluntarily._"

"So, like, what's the deal?" he asked. "Are you paralyzed, or sick?"

"…Sort of," she replied in an embarrassed voice. Zell, poor dear sweet Zell, was completely lost on the matter.

"Huh? What does that mean?" One of Rinoa's famous pauses hit the line, and she just barely whispered out her reasons.

"Zell… ah… well… I, ah… I'm going to be a mommy."

"Oh, well I guess that'd prevent you from--" Zell suddenly cut himself off, did a double-take, and nearly fainted and/or spat out his Adam's apple. "YOU WHAT?! RINOA, THAT'S TERRIFIC!!!!! YOU--WOW!!!!! I, I, THIS IS SUCH GREAT NEWS!!!!!"

"Yes, I know," giggled Rinoa bashfully. "Believe it or not, Squall smiled for three whole hours straight when I told him the news. He looked happier than I ever saw him in ages."

"OH, MAN!!!!" shouted Zell in the phone (thankfully, the loud boy was all by himself, or else he would have gotten many stares for his boisterous behavior). "THAT'S RADICAL!!" Rinoa laughed in the phone, and Zell blushed as he realized that he was shouting. He calmed down enough to resume his normal voice (which was loud enough on its own), and apologized.

"That's okay!" chuckled Rinoa. "I'm glad you're happy, too. I'm only about two months into it, but we can already tell. Unfortunately, I haven't been in the best health recently, so our doctor told us not to do any unnecessary traveling. Sorry, but it seems you'll have to make the trip up here."

"Aw, that's no problem at all!" exclaimed Zell happily. "I'm sure Amy won't mind if we take a trip up north! Besides, that might give us some quality time to--" Zell flinched, and suddenly covered his mouth as he realized what he almost said (he dropped the phone in the process).

"Quality time to what?" came the tinny voice of Rinoa. "…Zell? Zell, are you there?"

"Sorry," he said as he picked up the phone. "I guess I'm still a big-mouth. Don't worry about what I just said, okay?" Another suspicious pause in the conversation caused Zell to worry just slightly.

"…Zell, did you get a girlfriend while we were away?"

"_No!_" he insisted.

"Zell…" Rinoa's voice was already starting to sound like a mother's. "Tell me the truth, Zell!" He sighed, and shook his head in defeat.

"Eh… well, she's not _officially_ my girlfriend… We're just good friends. Honest! That's all there is!"

"For now, at least!" replied Rinoa slyly. Zell grumbled incoherently.

"Yeah, yeah…"

"Heeheehee… Just lay out the old charm and she'll be all over you before you leave!"

"Hey, I'm not Irvine, here!" insisted Zell. Rinoa laughed out loud, and apologized before poor Zell could be further offended.

"In all seriousness," said Rinoa, catching her breath from the laugh she had, "I don't think you and… what was her name?"

"Amy Mizuno."

"Right. I don't think you and Miss Mizuno should have that kind of relationship. Don't let her get caught between choosing a life with you or going back home. That would just be too difficult on her."

"Yeah, I know," he replied sadly. "And in all truth, Rin, I'm really starting to like her more than a friend. It's a shame, too. She's a really great girl. But, I guess she needs to be back in her own world, eh?"

"Yeah…" One final pause wedged in between their conversations, and Rinoa asked how everyone else was, as per usual. Zell affirmed her that everyone was okay (he didn't mention Seifer), and that both Rinoa and Squall were missed. They ended up saying goodbye to each other for half a minute, wherein Zell promised to meet up with Rinoa in a month's time, at the most.

"Oh," muttered Rinoa before she hung up, "you wanna talk to Squall?"

"I guess," shrugged Zell. A tiny silence hovered on the line, and the familiar curt voice of Squall popped up on the phone.

"Yeah?"

"How's it hangin' daddy-o?" Squall let out a grunt, and Zell could already see him holding his temples in irritation.

"Rinoa…"

"What? He deserved to know as much as you did!"

"………Sorry," came Squall's hushed voice. "…Uh, I guess everything's going okay, Zell. Uh, I guess we'll see you in a month. Bye now."

"Hey, Squall, give Rinoa a kiss for me." No answer. Zell grinned as he tried to imagine what sort of face Squall had on now, and a dead dial tone told him that his withdrawn friend had hung up on him. Cackling gently, Zell rubbed his hands and left the phone booth. He had some news to give to Amy.

Amy, Fujin, Nida, Raijin, and Seifer were all gathered together in the same cozy room, most of them wearing smiles of happiness or contentment. Even though most of the group looked unruly and strange upon first sight, they were in fact among the greatest and most loyal friends Amy had ever known. She had privately learned about Seifer's dark past, and took every word with an open mind and a few grains of salt. The amnesia, she noted, seemed to be the best thing that had happened to him since… well, maybe ever.

As for Raijin, he continued to play the role of Amy's "big brother", saving her spots in the lunch line, shooing off potential boyfriends, joking around as always, and basically being the stupid but harmless young man he always was. Nida and Amy hit it off immediately; the two were very good friends at worst, and at best, were on the same thought frequencies as the other. Almost every time something happened, the two would look at each other and silently convey their thoughts.

Fujin was both the most unlikely and most beloved friend Amy had had, all at once. Her physical appearance was even more frightening than gentle-giant Raijin's, what with her pale skin, silvery hair, and single red-hot eye. Yet beneath the haunting and rough exterior laid a gentle heart, and a caring soul that never really revealed itself unless in the company of intimate friends.

Seifer was snoring rather loudly.

"I have a question, Fujin," said Amy gently, for she did not want to disturb her blonde friend's rest. "If it doesn't offend you, why do you talk the way you do?" Fujin gave her friend an inquisitive look.

"IMPORTANT?"

"No, I'm just curious," said Amy. Fujin shrugged, gazed at Nida with her single eye, and nodded her head. The average young man understood, and distanced himself from his enigmatic girlfriend. Fujin stood out of her chair, walked across the room, and sat down next to Amy.

"SECRET," she said, and Amy smiled lightly. The look on Fujin's dead-serious face killed the smile immediately.

"Is it… personal?" whispered Amy. Fujin nodded her head.

"CLOSE FRIENDS ONLY," she said, pointing to her ear. Amy understood, but had to wonder why Nida of all people was excluded. From what she could tell, the two of them were exceptionally close. Whatever the reasons were, they must have been so private that only the posse could know about it. Gently, Fujin leaned in very close, and what she said surprised Amy.

"This is my real voice," she said gently, and the softness and quiet of the sound surprised Amy. This surprise was visible enough for Fujin to smile at. "It's no wonder you're surprised," said the woman softly. "Only the posse, Squall, Rinoa, and one other person knows of my 'true identity'."

"But, I still don't know why you…"

"…It's really personal," said Fujin in her soft voice. "…Back when I was growing up… you and Raijin were my only defense. I was… weak, scrawny, unhealthy, sickly. I… well, I was not even a 98-pound weakling; I was worse. When I spoke, like this, people laughed at me, and I was ridiculed because of the way I was…… well, born."

"…Oh." Amy sadly gazed at her friend, a look of deep compassion on her face. She could already tell that this was going to be even more personal, and she (as the "false" Amy Mizuno) had no real right to hear it. She even felt terrible listening, and wanted to say something about it, but it would have crushed Fujin to learn that all this time, her friend was a mere impostor.

Besides, Amy could empathize, in a way. Because of her study habits, she was something of a hermit, and up until the day she became a Sailor Scout, she had been looked at as a snob, or else a very quiet and unsociable girl. Amy could feel what her friend had went through, so as a friend would, she heard Fujin out until the very end.

"…This went on for… quite some time," continued Fujin. "I was always the butt of every joke, being tormented and laughed at and picked on. It was not a good life, and even though you and Raijin stuck up for me when you could, I still got pointed out as 'the different one'.

"One day, a very long time ago, I finally snapped. I don't know how it happened myself, but my mind just had enough of that life. When I got insulted, I lashed out at anyone who spoke ill of me. I… well, used my… 'other voice'. This… well, scared them away.

"Using my 'other' voice gave me a sense of power and control, so I just kept on using it until I formed a habit. Nowadays, it takes a lot of effort to use this gentle voice of mine, and I only use it in the company of intimate friends. Of course, there was this one time where I was _forced_ to talk this way. Remember the episode I told you about in Lunatic Pandora? Well, I figured that using my 'real' voice was the only way to get Seifer back to us. I failed… or, maybe I didn't, but anyway, that's my story." Fujin smiled eerily, and reached for a glass of water to clear her throat. Amy, needless to say, was amazed.

"…Incredible," she whispered. "…And, you trust me with this secret?"

"Of course I do," smiled Fujin warmly. "You've been my closest friend since time began. We were a few weddings away from being sisters, if you know what I mean. My grandfather and your grandfather were best friends, so I guess the link has been strong ever since. I trust you more than anyone in the world." Amy smiled, but it wasn't exactly a happy smile. It was quite hollow, for deep in her heart, she knew that she had done something very wicked by pretending to be the friend that Fujin trusted so.

It was true that Amy liked Fujin very much, as well as the rest of the posse, and Nida and Selphie and everyone else (_and_ Zell). She had grown to love them all, and parts of her preferred staying in the Garden over going home. She knew she would break many hearts if she left, or revealed her true identity, or both. Perhaps it would have been better for everyone else if Zell had not found her……

Sighing, she tried not to punish herself too much. The damage she had done was irreversible, so hopefully, she wouldn't have to do anything too terribly bad for the rest of her stay. Of course, the problems would be there wherever she went. Amy was now and forever caught between the proverbial Rock and Hard Place. If she stayed behind, she would worry her friends to death and the world would be 20% more dangerous with the absence of a Sailor Scout (she remembered how close her friends came to defeat when she considered moving to Germany).

But if she left, she would have to break many hearts, and shatter many hopes, and see many friends grow sad and maybe even angry. She would have to leave the posse behind, and dear sweet Selphie, and flirtatious Irvine and level-headed Quistis. No longer could she learn from Dr. Kadowaki, or from Edea or Cid or Xu. And, perhaps most sad of all, she would leave behind somebody whom she was having very affectionate feelings for……

"Amy? Amy?" The blue-haired genius snapped out of her trance, seeing a concerned Fujin before her. "…Amy, are you all right? You seemed to have blanked out for awhile."

"Oh, uh…… ahhh, sorry, Fujin. I just got lost in thought, that's all." Fujin grew a smile, and ruffled Amy's icy hair with a white hand.

"AS USUAL," she said in her "normal" voice. Amy smiled, and gave her new best friend a very tight hug. Fujin didn't dare question why Amy did such things; all signs of affection were accepted without hesitation.

"Amy! Amy!!" The tender moment was abruptly ruined as an overzealous blonde young man blasted his way in the room, his face contorted with the usual excitement. Everyone except Seifer (who had somehow slept through it all) groaned out loud.

"Hello, Zell," said Amy with a measure of friendliness. "Why all the excitement?"

"I think I finally found a way for you to get back to your own world!!!" he shouted. For the briefest of seconds, Amy's face gazed back at the young man in puzzlement, then in disbelief, then in horror. Fujin, Raijin, Nida, and now a very-awake Seifer all gave her inquisitive glances as they heard Zell's news.

"Amy, what does he mean, 'your own world'?" asked Nida. Fearfully, Amy shook her head, her worst nightmares coming to reality at last as her friends stared at her. Whether he had meant to or not, Zell had foolishly revealed Amy's secret, and now a thick cloud of confusion and betrayal fell on the room.

"Oh, I guess they don't know yet," muttered Zell casually. Suddenly, he realized the gravity of his error, but the damage was done and there was nothing anybody could do about it.

"AMY…?" Fujin's face, more than anybody's, was filled with confusion and dread and questions and perhaps a glint of betrayal. Her single red eye stared hard into Amy's twin blue eyes, and for the rest of her life, Amy would never forget that horrible, betrayed look.

Zell hissed fearfully, and said only one thing.

"…Ohhhhhhh, crap."


	15. Lux Aeterna

Author's note: One super-long chapter, coming up! Oh, I'm willing to write a short fanfic according to the wishes of the person that tells me if the title of this chapter means anything.

XV: Lux Aeterna

The universe was deep and dark and cold and lonely. It consisted of great, deep, dark gashes of emptiness, a void filled with nothing but empty matter and desolate darkness. It was large and great, this universe, though for the most part, it was completely void of anything at all. Only in the tiniest of all spaces was there really anything worthy to look at.

Plumbing deeper into the universe reveals the emptiness to be false. Millions upon billions of spots of light blind the senses as celestial travelers race across the infinite void. There are quasars, clusters, and the great galaxies that hold the brightest light of them all. Some spiral around like tops, others pulsate like random waves of electricity, still others defy all reason and simply exist for the sake of existing.

Deeper still into these galaxies are systems of planets that revolve around hot spheres of gaseous fire and scorching-hot plasma. Trillions of these planets could exist in the universe itself; indeed, the numbers of worlds and systems in this certain galaxy cannot be calculated. The sheer size and magnitude of everything is overwhelming; at best, to contemplate it all would mean mental meltdown.

Further still, as if driven by madness, there can be discovered small worlds being hurtled around the sun like a sling. These planets come in unlimited sizes, and unlimited colors, some defying definitions held for countless seconds. Only a select few of them might be placed so fortunately in the grand scheme of things that they may bear life; one in particular catches the eye.

Further still, into this habitable planet, there are continents, home to dozens of individual countries that form alliances and stab backs and wage wars and give peace without ever realizing that they are but dust in the universe. Further still, one country out of many is examined, and even here there are divisions; buildings and territorial boundaries stand out as if nothing else is more important, while the universe lives on coldly.

Diving in further, one building stands out more than others. Even here, there are distinctions--it is as if there is some ghastly pattern that is being followed, and from universe to common rooms of a building, that pattern has persisted since. In the darkness of chaos and the light of simple electrical bulbs, buildings are divided into rooms and one room out of so many trillions of rooms from so many trillions of worlds is sorted out.

From universe to quasar to cluster to galaxy to system to planet to continent to country to district to building to room, a journey has subtly been made, and now that the journey _to_ the individual room has been completed, it is now time to learn why this particular room out of so many others is different. There _is_ a reason, but in a very small way, it is not different at all. Perhaps in another universe, this very same scenario is happening, possibly even at the same time, though the two are separated forever.

The cold of the universe was the same cold that hung in the room that hour, and although the building had been conditioned against the freezing temperatures of winter, there was an unmistakable chill in the room as the silence hung on. Zell Dincht was the only one standing in that room, which left everyone resting, sitting, or else reclining. The mood was hardly relaxed, though. A dark and terrible secret had been revealed, and whether or not this revelation was intentional or not was unimportant.

For what might have been a quarter of an hour, the room remained very cold and silent and figuratively empty (it was populated by no less than six individuals). Zell could do nothing except stand there helplessly, his face cringed forever into a sickly façade of regret and remorse. The others were either giving away confused or betrayed looks, and one of them was looking a million times sicker than the worst invalid or leper.

Amy Mizuno felt like vomiting as three pairs of eyes and one single red eye stared at her, slowly taking off the shell she had produced over the days. Revealing Amy's true-self was like peeling an onion: there always seemed to be some new secret underneath the last skin, and yet always one more secret to learn about her still. The bulb, the heart of the onion and Amy's soul, would definitely merit examination.

"………I…" Amy's helpless voice tried slashing through the silence, but it was like cutting through wood with a plastic knife. Her lip quivered, and the stares of people she considered friends wracked her body and soul. Feeling sick enough to die on the spot, Amy slowly covered her face in ultimate shame, trying desperately to hide away from the deadly looks her friends were giving her. _Her_ secret had been found out.

"…I… I…" Zell too tried to release the tension, but failed just as miserably as Amy. He grunted, and it was obvious that he too felt the pain and utter embarrassment of having revealed so intimate a secret. It was plainly obvious that for the next few moments, nobody would be speaking much, if at all.

Amy began to weep gently, and despite the deadly thickness and silence in the air, she defied the atmosphere and began talking.

"…I'm so sorry," she whispered, her voice no steadier than an elephant balancing atop a rubber ball. "I'm… so sorry… …I…… don't know… what to say…" Her voice died right in her throat, and she slowly slid to the floor as if to cover up her shame even more. She finally reached her destination, and laid prostrate on the ground in defeat and sadness and pain.

She had been deceiving people now for about four months. For four months, she had told people she came from that world, and had lost her memory, and was another individual who had just ran into a series of unfortunate events along the way. For four months, she had played an unwilling deceiver, feigning her own self to justify her stay at the building in the middle of a black universe. She had made friends and promises, and had heard many things intended for another ear. For four months she had deceived, and the secret had crashed and shattered in four seconds.

Like four invincible judges, Seifer, Nida, Fujin, and Raijin stood over her weeping frame, and mentally conveyed what they should do with her. Slowly, Amy's closest friend of them all knelt down, and placed a pale hand on the girl's head. Amy shed another tear as the cold palm touched her scalp, and swore that Death was nipping at her own exposed toes.

Fujin sighed sadly, and did the last thing Amy expected by running her white fingers through the blue hair tenderly. Amy's quivering slowly ceased as she felt hands of warm ice delicately pet her short locks, and her worries were somehow abated by the mere touch of a good friend's hand. A second palm went for her chin, and Death never came as the combined hands lifted her tear-scarred face up. Amy's twisted, saddened face was heart-wrenching at best when she gazed into Fujin's own mask of stoicism.

"DON'T CRY," said the pale woman. Amy merely blinked her eyes, unsure how to best respond. Fujin's unreadable face turned warm despite the frost of her fingers, and the ghostly woman let out a smile that could have warmed the polar icecaps. It was a strange phenomenon, to see one so rough and curt and cold acting so warm and compassionate, and soon even Amy's fears were calmed.

"IT'S OKAY," assured Fujin, her kind face beaming with what might have been holy light (from the color of her face, that is). Fujin smiled, and held Amy's face in her tough, calloused, gentle hands. "I KNEW."

"……What… do you mean?" whimpered Amy. Fujin smiled a little broader.

"…KNEW YOU WERE FAKE," she replied gently. Amy's nervous face turned depressed again, and she swallowed weakly.

"…How'd you know?" she asked. "I thought…"

"I knew," replied Fujin in her "other" voice. "Best friends can tell this sort of thing. I knew almost from the very start, Amy, almost from the very start. I could tell you weren't the 'real' Amy Mizuno."

"…How?"

"Your ears," smiled Fujin, tapping Amy's earlobes gently. "They're pierced. The 'other' Amy never pierced her ears in her life. She was unable to, because of her fear of bodily punctures. She hated going to the doctor's too, because of the syringes, and even the dentist's. Amy was always a big baby when it came to sharp objects."

"So… when you saw my earrings… and when you saw me befriend Dr. Kadowaki…"

"…Well," smiled Fujin gently, "those were tell-tale signs, but… a best friend notices more than that. There were little things I saw in you, things I knew Amy would never do even if she _was_ an amnesiac."

"…But, I don't understand!" exclaimed Amy. "If… if you knew who I was all this time, then why did you continue to treat me as a friend? Why did you tell me your secrets?"

"Not sure," replied Raijin. He smiled and gave her a little wave. "Maybe we just wanted the real Amy back so badly that we thought you'd make a good substitute."

"NO," replied Fujin. She smiled at Amy, and gave the blue-haired genius a gentle kiss on the forehead. "ALWAYS BE AMY. ALWAYS BE MY FRIEND."

"Hey, yeah!!" exclaimed Raijin. "Fuj's right! We don't care who ya are! You'll always be our great friend, Amy or not!"

"And besides," noted Nida, "how can we detest someone who's brightened the lives of every single student in this Garden, right from the day you've came? Have you noticed how happy the Headmaster and Matron are? I don't think I've ever seen them in a better mood, not even when they were reunited after the Galbadia incident. And look at Selphie! She's lost so many friends in the attacks on Trabia, but now she's got a new friend to be with. Even Irvine and Quistis are happier now!" Nida smiled, and pointed his fingers at Amy in support.

"Come on, kid! Whether you're really the real Amy Mizuno or not is unimportant! You'll always be our great friend! Even if you're an impostor, your presence has made everyone here so happy. Could anything that's so good have any villainy in it at all? No!"

"THAT'S WHY I LOVE HIM," said Fujin warmly. She winked with her single eye, and Nida waved at her happily. Amy, on the other hand, was positively paralyzed with joy and ecstasy. A few minutes ago, she had feared that her closest friends would die of heartbreak upon hearing her terrible secrets, or else hate her and despise her and curse her forever. But _this?_ This was… too much… Far, far too much… And so, burdened down by so much warmth and support, Amy shuddered and began to cry again.

"IT'S OKAY," repeated Fujin, holding the joyful girl close. "LOVE YOU."

"We all do, ya know?" smiled Raijin, and he too came forward to give his "little sister" a hug. Nida joined them, and even Seifer's hands were found wrapped around Amy's body.

"…Ever since I came here, people have slowly but surely accepted me for what I am," he said to her. "…I don't know what kind of horrible things I have done in the past, nor do I ever want to. If I can, I want to start out on a clean slate. Amy… you too have been given the chance to start out anew. And, and…… well… I can say that, up to this point, you've made the most of your chance. Do you… really… have any idea how much you're loved?"

"…Yes," she replied shakily, her tears soaking everyone around her. "Yes, I do…"

Slowly, her three closest friends in that world released her, each one expressing their undying love and loyalty to Amy. There was not one dry eye in the whole room, with the exception of Zell, who was still standing awkwardly. With her friends no longer smothering her with their love, Amy was free to gaze up at the silent blonde man, and slowly she stood to look him in the eye.

"…Zell." He flinched, and mumbled out in embarrassment.

"…Oh, man," he muttered. "I've made such an idiot of myself, as always. That's me, big-mouth Zell, always ruining one thing or another. I nearly blew up Balamb Garden with my mouth, and if it weren't for these people… then, well, I might have done much worse damage. I… know I can't ask for your forgiveness, but…" Amy smiled, ignoring his lack of eloquence, and placed a supportive hand on his cheek.

"It's all right, Zell," she assured him. "It's all right. I… I suppose that my secret would have gotten out anyway, no matter what happened or how many precautions I took. You helped me speed up what might have been a very painful experience. Thanks." She leaned forward and gave him a kiss on his cheek, and smiled so warmly that his face turned red from it.

"…Aw… jeez… Y-y'mean… you're not mad at me?"

"No, not really," she replied. "Although I do suppose I should be. You really shouldn't blurt things out like that, Zell!"

"…Sorry."

"Don't be," she smiled. "You are immature, yes, but you're also very open and honest about yourself. You don't beat around the bush, and that's a quality I like about you." She smiled at him, and he smiled back, and Seifer had to cough pretty loud to separate them before something _really_ happened.

"AHEM! Anyway, I guess all this is behind us now, sort of. So, Amy, now that we know you're not the girl we thought you were, would you mind telling us who you are exactly, and where you come from?"

"I guess there's no point in hiding it anymore," she shrugged. Taking a deep breath, and a swig of cold water, Amy began her tale of truth. She told her friends everything she had said to Zell, everything, word for revealing word.

"…Oh, man… That is one wild story, ya know…?"

"YES," muttered Fujin eerily. "STRANGE…"

"No, more like completely bizarre," noted Nida. Amy snorted and made a face.

"So you don't believe me??"

"Oh, we do, we do!" exclaimed Nida. "But, then again, you must admit that it's a very strange story. I'm not saying that it's false, it's just unlikely. Or, to be a little more precise, it's… well, _fantastic_, for lack of a better word."

"…………So you don't believe me."

"Aw, he's just digging himself in deeper," muttered Raijin. Fujin glared at him, but he continued speaking unaffected. "Nida just thinks too much, ya know? Heh, I guess I can believe every word you say, since you're our good friend."

"AMY NOT LIAR," noted Fujin.

"Exactly! So, like, if you told us the moon was made outta cheese, we'd believe you, ya know?" Amy made a half-smile, and tried to remain civil as she processed Raijin's silly declaration.

"RAIJIN BELIEVE REGARDLESS," noted Fujin with a sly smirk. Raijin made an angry face and swiped at the mass of air that separated him from his sister.

"Anyway!" he coughed. "I suppose Zell's right. We gotta find you a way to get home, ya know?"

"Hold on, now," interrupted Seifer. All eyes turned to him and he grew an evil smile without knowing it. "Have any of you considered the notion that… oh, I dunno, maybe Amy _doesn't_ wanna return home?"

"Well, that's--"

"UNCERTAIN," said Fujin. The one-eyed woman turned to Amy, mentally questioning her friend's thoughts. "AMY, STAY OR GO?"

"…I… I…"

"Hey, let's not force her to make such a tough decision so quickly!" blurted Nida. "I mean, in case nobody else has noticed, Amy's become very well-loved in the Garden! If we ask her to leave, it'd be like tearing a plant away from the ground! Imagine how many people would be hurt if she just up and left!"

"…AGREED," noted Fujin after a pause. The pale woman gazed at her friend, and placed a supportive hand on her shoulder. "TAKE TIME, DECIDE. WE'LL BE HERE WHEN READY."

"Thanks, Fujin," smiled Amy. "And thank all of you. This… really is… too much…"

"Aw, don't start blubberin' now, ya know?" smiled Raijin. "It doesn't suit ya! You may not be the Amy we thought you were, but you're still stronger than that, ya know?!"

"Yes, I do," smiled Amy. "And thank you too, Raijin. You all are the greatest friends I have ever had."

"FLATTERY," smiled Fujin. Amy chuckled briefly, and excused herself from the room. She had some thinking to do.

Amy took a pretty big chunk of time to ponder over her choices. No matter which path she took in life, she would break hearts and ignore so many duties. She desperately wanted to stay behind in the Garden with her friends, and she did have duties as a SeeD, but if she remained behind, that meant she would be ignoring her duties as a Sailor Scout and as a friend to everyone in her own world.

Returning to her own place thus seemed logical--after all, it was where she belonged. But going back home meant leaving behind so many good friends, and thus breaking even more hearts and earning more betrayed looks as she revealed her secret to everyone. But now she was going in circles.

No matter which path Amy took in life, she would hurt somebody and ignore her duties. Staying at Garden meant keeping her new friends and losing old ones, not to mention placing the Earth in danger; going back home meant keeping her duties and her friends, while at the same time leaving behind so many she touched, not to mention having to reveal her secrets to the rest of the Garden. Amy was a smart young woman, but not even she could find the best solution for the problem.

Of course, she knew that she _really_ had to go back to her own world. No matter how much she loved this current one, there was no way she could be allowed to stay. It was not _her_ world, these duties were not _her_ duties. Amy took in a very deep breath and calmed herself before returning to the room where her friends were waiting. It was going to be very painful breaking the news to them, and to everyone else, but it _had_ to be done.

Slowly, as if she didn't want to face her fate, Amy returned to the small room in the middle of the empty universe, and found her friends chatting quietly. Seifer noticed her first, and gave a friendly wave.

"DECIDE?" asked Fujin. Amy quietly nodded her head.

"Yes. It's… not easy for me to say this, but… I can't stay here. As much as I love this place, and I love all of you, this is not my real home. It pains me to decide between the two, but in the end, I suppose my home will win out every time." Fujin nodded her head quietly, and stood to embrace Amy.

"UNDERSTAND," she said gently. "HARD DECISION."

"Yeah…" whispered her brother. "But… well, it's Amy's to make, ya know? Hey, Ames, we're gonna be behind you all the way, ya know?"

"Thank you, Raijin," she smiled. "All of you. You have made my stay so wonderful and happy that I hate to leave. But, I suppose I have to go sometime…"

"…Amy?" said Seifer slowly. The petite woman of blue gazed up at the young man she considered a friend. "I… well, I know I've never been good at this, but… well, I'm gonna miss you."

"I'm not gone yet!" she smiled. "And besides, I'll have to tell Cid and Edea and everyone else about my secret. I don't know how I'm going to break it to them."

"Hey, just let your heart do the talking," said Zell supportively. "Just let it be your guide and I'm sure everything will go out okay. But……… well, jeez, I never thought I'd say this, but Seifer's right. We're gonna miss you, Amy." She looked over at him and smiled warmly. The warrior of ice approached him, and folded her arms over his well-built body. Zell sighed, and allowed his nose to dig into her hair for an invigorating sniff of her scent. It reminded him of the smell of a forest after the rain.

"……Hey, I have an idea!" said Nida suddenly. All eyes turned towards him, and he rubbed his hands vigorously. "Zell, what exactly do you have planned for Amy? How do you plan on getting her home?"

"Well," he sighed, "I was hoping that Rinoa would help me with that, y'know? I figure that if anybody knows how to send her home, it's her."

"I see," replied Nida thoughtfully. "And she's living in Trabia now, correct?"

"Yeah, but what're you getting at?" Nida smiled and nodded his head in thought.

"…Here's an idea," he suggested. "If we're all so close to Amy, why don't we accompany her and Zell up to Trabia, at least as far as Rinoa and Squall's house? That way, we can spend some more time with her, and see her off when she leaves!" Zell grinned, and slapped Nida's back proudly.

"Nida my man, that's just plain brilliant!!"

"AGREED," said Fujin seductively. Nida's entire body turned red, and he tried to keep his cool as the icy Fujin walked over and gave him a kiss. "TOO SMART. JEALOUS."

"Aw, c'mon snow. I'm not that smart!" Fujin grinned and poked the ordinary man in the ribs, and the two teased each other playfully whilst everyone else gagged.

"………Well, it _is_ a good idea!" stated Raijin after a pause. "I mean, I know we all need more quality time with Amy! Besides, it wouldn't feel right to just let her leave without seeing if she's gonna be safe or not, ya know? As her big brother, I gotta watch out for her, ya know? Make sure she's safe'n all!"

"AGREED," replied Fujin. "AMY, YOU MIND?"

"Oh, I would like nothing better!" exclaimed the girl. "But, you'd better get permission from Cid before doing anything. I'd hate it if half the Garden worried about you all…"

"They won't worry about us," snorted Seifer. "Fuj, Raij and I are just a buncha rejects, from what I heard, and I don't think anybody'll miss ol' Nida. Zell, erm, well, that's debatable." Zell sneered at his former foe but kept his tongue; Amy merely smiled, and tried to think of how she would break the news to all of Balamb without breaking any hearts or making any new enemies. It wouldn't be easy.

"…so, that's why I have to go," concluded Amy. "I hope everyone understands, and I pray that each and every one of you can forgive me for deceiving you so much. I really had no intention of hurting anyone's feelings, but one thing led to another and soon I was unable to stop things. If you wish to shun me or exile me, I will allow you with a glad heart. I know I deserve it.

"But hear me out," she continued. "This may not be my home, but I love it here, and I love each and every one of you. I may not be the Ice Warrior, but it is apparent that I have still touched the lives of everyone here. This entire Garden has become a better place since my arrival, so it pains me deeply to have to leave. My heart is just as torn as yours are, so bear in mind that I do not do this happily.

"Thank you for your time," she concluded, "…and for your friendship. I do not deserve any of it. Thank you." Amy took a bow, and silently walked away from the podium. Suddenly, one of the students stood up in his chair, and shouted out something that brought Amy to a halt.

"Long live Amy Mizuno! Long live the Ice Warrior! Long live Sailor Mercury!" Amy smiled, and before she could turn her head, another student was on his chair and shouting the exact same thing. More and more students followed the example, breaking a rule of protocol but saluting Amy all the same. The SeeDs all stood in their chairs as well, snapping fine salutes. Irvine stood up to whistle and clap loudly, and Quistis did the same. Selphie practically screamed as she leaped up on her own chair, and soon the entire assembly was cheering Amy.

"Long live Amy! Long live Amy! Long live Amy! Long live Amy!" Amy, the apparent woman of the hour, broke down in tears as the entire population of Balamb Garden cheered her on, pouring out unconditional love and support for her. Two gentle, icy-hot hands touched her shoulders, and her heart was at ease.

"Do you see, warrior of ice?" said Edea gently. "Do you see how much you are loved here? Whether or not you are the real Amy means nothing to these people. They still look up to you and admire you very much, and so do I." Amy smiled, and turned around to give "Matron" a tight hug. The dark-haired enigmatic woman returned it, and soon another warm hand found her shoulder.

"Miss Mizuno," came the proud voice of Cid, "you will always have a home here in Garden, always. We all love you very much."

"Thank you, Headmaster," sniffled Amy. She ran over to him and hugged him like he was her own father, and one by one Amy's close friends scurried up to embrace the woman they had grown to love. It was a beautiful sight to see, and even the posse grew misty as they saw their "little sister" being loved so much.

Zell was practically beside himself with happiness.

From the emptiness of the universe, down to the stuffed duffel bag that held several significant souvenirs, there was peace. Amy Mizuno's heart was no heavier than a blade of grass, and her smile no darker than the sun. Behind her stood Balamb Garden, and the entire assembly of students, faculty, and miscellaneous employees. Dr. Kadowaki and Instructor Grate each waved farewell, the latter giving off a salute reserved only for the most commendable persons.

Both Irvine and Quistis also had their hands in the air, the former firing off shots from his gun occasionally. Lawrence, Jerome, and Morris were all trying to look classy and sophisticated, but each one failed; they still got smiles, though. Along with Zell, Fujin, Nida, and Seifer, Amy waved back at the large gathering of friends she had made, and sadly left the Garden with their bags packed for the long trip up north.

"Oh! Where's Raijin and Selphie?" asked Amy. "I didn't see them in the crowd anywhere."

"BROTHER ANNOYANCE," sighed Fujin in defeat. "WILL PUNISH LATER."

"No, that's okay, I just want to know where they are," said Amy. "I mean, I don't want to leave without saying goodbye to them." Fujin shrugged, and like a gentleman would, Nida offered to go look for them. He ran off, and came back two minutes later with Selphie and Raijin in tow. Amy wryly noted that the smaller one was clinging onto the bigger guy.

"Oh, hi sweet Amy!" called Selphie. "Or should I call you Sailor Mercury? Ahh, who cares, you're still the coolest ever--erm, no pun intended!"

"You're too much!" laughed Amy. Selphie smiled that ever-present warm smile, and rushed over to give her friend one final hug.

"Darnit, I wish I could go with you," she sighed, "but the Garden Winter festival needs me. It's not like it's more important than you are, but if I didn't run it, nobody else would and the whole thing would just die away! I hope you can forgive me, Amy… I'd go with you if I could…"

"It's all right," replied Amy warmly. "I'm sure the Winter Festival will be incredible. I only wish I could have stayed behind to see it."

"For real! But don't worry!" winked Selphie. "I'll dedicate it to you, sweet Amy! It'll be the biggest bash ever!!!" Selphie's squealing voice would have deafened anyone else, but Amy loved that side of her. The two friends hugged one final time, and gave kisses on the cheek, and reluctantly released each other to their destinies. Slowly, Raijin approached Amy and scratched his head.

"…Well… ah…"

"Raijin! What're you doing?!" called Selphie. "You promised me that you'd help with the Festival!!"

"Yeah, but… Amy…"

"She'll be fine, hon!" called Selphie. "She's got Zell and Nida with her, and oh yeah those other two. She'll be _fine!!_" Raijin paused, and mumbled incoherently as he scratched his head.

"………Yeah, but… she's like my sister, ya know?"

"Yeah, I know, I feel the same," sighed Selphie. The petite lady strolled over to Raijin, tilting her head from side to side and giving him a very cute look. "But, but, but, she'll be fine. I'm gonna miss her too, but hey, hey-hey, that's the way things work sometimes. So, c'mon, and stop worrying, kay?" Raijin made a face, and sneered slightly as he accepted his fate.

"……All right. Hey, sorry Amy, but… Selphie…"

"I understand," chuckled Amy. "Just don't get into too much trouble without us. You take care, Raijin. I'll always think of you as the brother I never had. I love you…"

"Aw, jeez…" mumbled Raijin. "I… I'm no good at these things, ya know?" Selphie smiled impishly and ran over to hug him.

"Isn't he the sweetest?" she sang.

"I couldn't agree more!!!" shouted a voice from afar. All eyes turned towards who had called out, and civil masks were put on as Xu marched forward to grab Raijin's other arm.

"Aha!" she exclaimed. "I found you at last! Raijin, please, can you ever please come back to me? I miss you so much, and I never should have broken up with you!"

"Well, I, uh…"

"Forget it, Xu!" shouted Selphie. "Raijin's mine! You had your chance!"

"Huh, Selphie? Hey, don't you have a Winter Festival to attend to?"

"Yeah, and Raijin's helpin' me! So, like, go help Cid with some important documents or something."

"Hey! You can't talk to a superior officer like that! Give me him!"

"He's mine, he's mine!" shouted Selphie. Both women soon started to pull on Raijin's arms, and while a normal man would be in pain, Raijin was grinning broadly.

"…Oh, man!" he sang. "I'm the luckiest guy in the world!!!!" Amy and her companions all burst out laughing, and Raijin winked as they left the Garden.

"CAN TAKE CARE OF HIMSELF," said Fujin wryly. Amy returned her friend's smile, and the gang set out for Balamb town. The frosty air of a December afternoon smelled delicious and crisp, and a new-fallen snow lit up the entire island with patches of pure white. Fujin and Nida held hands in the cold air, and it was understood why his pet name for her was Snow.

The gang had to head towards Balamb Town for a reason: the Garden itself was not scheduled to visit Trabia anytime soon, so a boat had to be taken up there. Since it was already winter, and the group would be going someplace even _colder_ (if it were possible), everyone had to bundle up accordingly. Everyone looked absolutely adorable in their winter wear, even Seifer, and Zell looked cute enough to eat in his heavy blue coat.

It was going to be a long journey, but compared to the spaces that separated celestial bodies in the universe, it was nothing. All along the way, Amy would cherish the time spent with her friends, for it very well may have been her last few days with them. She didn't know what would happen when they reached Trabia, so the future would just have to come one day at a time for the group. Amy wouldn't have it any other way.


	16. Pieces to a Wonderful Puzzle

Author's note: Writing from a girl's point of view seems to come easy for me. I do admit to understanding women a little more than the average guy, but everything I put down is either according to that woman's character or else my own thoughts. Just as a side note, Amy is one of my favorite Sailor Scouts. She's so cute! *drools* Lita and Trista too… *shudders happily* As for Final Fantasy 8, Selphie and Rinoa might be cute, but you gotta admit, Quistis is one of the sexiest women to grace Square. *yeowza!* But none of them compare to Viki from Suikoden!!! ……Sorry, none of that is important. It's just an eccentric part of me. (And now it all starts to make sense!) Oh, on a side note, please bear in mind that there will be lots of MUSH in this chapter, and I don't mean the kind you eat! Barf bags _are_ available!

XVI: Pieces to a Wonderful Puzzle

Amy kept her eyes closed for a few seconds more, then opened them to find one of the dearest, sweetest, kindest, most loveable friends she had ever known sleeping next to her. Fujin looked very adorable in the middle of her rest, and her face glowed a natural shine now that her ever-present eye patch was off. The horrible scar that usually hid beneath it didn't make her look scary or ugly in the least; in fact, if anything, it made her look more vulnerable and dependant.

Of course, only a select few people could see past her shield of strength. Usually, Fujin was the exact opposite of what she was portraying now: normally, she was vicious, emotionless, curt, quick, and lethal. But Amy knew her better--and apparently, so did her unlikely boyfriend, who had bunked with Zell for the night. Amy's smile grew as she tossed in her large bed, and got a pretty good look of one of her other good friends, the clueless yet loyal Seifer Almasy.

His was an unlikely case: Amy had heard of how infamous Seifer had been awhile back, and how close to the apocalypse he had actually brought the world. Now, through some unknown miracle (the faculty at Garden finally concluded that it was Ultimecia's hold being released on him, combining with the Time Compression journey, that had erased his mind), Seifer could start all over with a new life, and new memories.

There were only two beds in the small cabin, so space was considerably tight. Amy secretly wanted to bunk with Zell, but she didn't trust Fujin and Nida together in the same bed, nor even Zell and Seifer. An agreement had been made that benefited everyone, and for this first night, it seemed to work.

Amy and Zell were headed to the cold northern regions of Trabia, where there resided somebody who could possibly take Amy home. The blue-haired lady had no idea what Zell had in mind, nor even if this arrangement would work, but she trusted Zell enough to follow him up to the frosty regions. Since they apparently did not trust the two "friends" to make it to Trabia by themselves, a trinity of Amy's closest buddies had also joined the party. They had all grown close to the warrior of ice; whether she was their "real" friend or not was unimportant. Amy was Amy and that was that.

From Balamb Island to the northern regions of Trabia, it took the boat about two days to putter all the way. In that brief period of time, Amy grew even closer to her friends (_and_ Zell), if that were possible. She and Nida were getting along swimmingly--but then again, when two brilliant minds meet, what else can happen? As for Seifer, he proved to be 1/3 of a very unlikely yet very close cadre of buddies that Amy had grown to love dearly. He started growing especially close to her, since both seemed to know nothing about the world.

Several hours before the boat docked at Trabian shores, Amy walked outside and stood on the port side of the ship, gazing out at the dark-blue waters. The color matched her hair seamlessly, and the smell reminded her of the beaches she would go to when she was little. The air was considerably colder, though, so she had to bundle up a little. It wasn't so cold that they would all die of hypothermia; it was more of a wintry chill than the arctic blasts that Sailor Mercury specialized in.

As Amy mindlessly gazed out at the waters, she was joined by Zell, whom she had started to like very much. In a sense, she hated him--that is, she hated how eager he seemed to be to see her leave, or how casual he was taking all this. She was pretty certain that he liked her, so why he was acting happy was a mystery. She tried not to bring it up as they started speaking.

"Frickin' cold out here!" blurted Zell, hugging himself despite the blue coat he was wearing. Amy smiled and silently nodded in agreement. As always, Zell strolled over next to Amy and leaned over the side as if he did this sort of stuff all the time. The breath he let out turned into a steamy mass of frozen air, forming fog and smoke as it drifted upwards.

"…So, you looking forward to going home?" he asked.

"…Hard to say," she replied.

"How's that?"

"……Zell… forgive me for noticing, but I'm getting a lot of mixed messages from you."

"…Huh?" The confused look on his face, while cute, did little to cheer Amy's mood.

"Well, I've sort of figured out that you, uh… like me… and that's okay, because I like you too, but… well, I can't help but think that you're _happy_ that I'm going home."

"…Aren't you?" he asked after a pause. Amy sighed and clicked her tongue.

"Yes, but… I'm getting the feeling that you don't want me around."

"Well, that's not true!!" he retorted. "I… well, uh… erm, uh, you're right, uh, about mmm… well, you know…" Amy made no movement, not even to smile faintly, as she looked back at Zell.

"…I'm sorry. This just might be me. I'm just getting the impression that you're glad to see me go."

"No," he emphasized, "but… well, aren't you looking forward to going back home?" Amy paused, and shook her head slowly.

"I don't know," she murmured slowly. "I don't know what to feel anymore. The other day, I was so light and carefree, but… well, now that I've been given some time to let things sink in… I don't know. I just don't know." She grew a very crestfallen frown, and looked back up at Zell. He matched her gaze, trying to offer whatever he could in this most confusing and needy hour. It was true that he was liking Amy, much more than a friend, and it was true that he wanted her to stay behind, with him. But she didn't belong there! She had another life to go to! He couldn't be so selfish as to keep her here! He had to set her free! Because…

_Well, because sometimes, you have to let go of the ones you love…_

"…I don't know what to say," he shrugged. Amy kept her silent gaze, the cold long since passed over as a part of the environment. She didn't even feel it anymore; the tension between them had warmed everything up. Even her breath became invisible again as she exhaled every so often.

"Zell, just tell me," she said. "If you _could_ keep me here, would you?"

"Well, you've got other friends to go to, and--"

"Just tell me," she interrupted softly (now was not the time to get mad). "Would you or not?" He paused, pursing his lips in thought as he mulled over her question.

"…I… guess I'd keep you here," he replied. "But, you know, I'm not that selfish. It's outta my lack of selfishness that I let you go, y'know? I don't _want_ to see you go, but… well, I guess I have to. I……… well, jeez, I guess I'm just an idiot as always."

"No!" sang Amy gently. She stepped forward, folding her arms around his body in a supportive hug. "Zell, whether you believe it or not, I really and truly have grown to like you while I was here. It might have been a short time, but… well, I wouldn't trade a second of it for anything else!"

"No?" He gazed down at the beautiful young lady hugging him, and smiled just faintly as her hair rubbed up against his mouth. Despite the crisp air, he could still smell the shampoo she had used that morning, and the soap she had used to wash herself. She had a terrific smell to her, and Zell wanted to make sure that he remembered every aspect of her: sight, smell, touch, sound, everything.

"No," she sighed. A pause, and she slowly began to rock in his arms. "You know… You remind me of a few of my friends. I know we're complete opposites, Zell, but you know what?"

"Hm?"

"We're opposites because we're pieces of a wonderful puzzle," she smiled. "You, Zell Dincht, you are brave and fun and strong and loyal. You're as trustworthy as a dog and as fun as a clown. Sometimes you act a little immature, but I can't hate that side of you. And… your strength… Zell, you're not just strong of body. You've got a strong heart, too.

"And me…" Amy smiled, blushing just slightly as she started talking about herself. "…I'll admit that I'm very smart, and wise, and a great friend, and well-loved. I'm not strong like you, and I'm not nearly as expressive with my feelings as you are, but you know what? That's where the pieces of the puzzle come in." She smiled, using every muscle and fiber of her face to give Zell her most angelic grin, and slowly, she leaned forward to press her lips to his own.

"We balance each other perfectly, Zell," she said gently. "You're strong, I'm smart. You're expressive, I'm thoughtful. You're brash, I'm deliberate. You're immature, I'm weak. We fit each other perfectly." She smiled again, her arms holding onto him tightly, and hoped the boat would never move from its position again; indeed, she wished never to go anywhere, least of all home.

Zell, for all accounts, was beyond reach. He was still surprised over Amy's sudden kiss, and her lengthy declaration had him stunned. But he soon grew a smile, and gave Amy the kiss he had been wanting to give her ever since… well, ever since he could remember.

"MUSHY," muttered Fujin. Nida chuckled softly and kissed her cheek.

"Admit it, you like it. I know you've got a great big romantic woman in there somewhere."

"WANT TO FIND OUT?" she asked huskily. Nida's face turned vermilion, and Fujin let out a sly grin. They both shared a laugh, and a kiss, leaving Seifer the only one to groan over how romantic everything was turning.

----------

Amy's shivering could not be prevented. The chilly atmosphere of Trabia would have made any living creature cold to the bone. Being Sailor Mercury, one would think that she felt home in such a place, but it was just the opposite. According to Fujin, the "real" Amy Mizuno had disappeared somewhere in these frozen wastes, and had not been seen for over two years.

One by one, Amy and her friends filed out of the boat, every one of them dressed accordingly to the frozen weather. Nida was holding Fujin tightly, and Seifer looked like a bear with so many coats and furs on. Zell was bouncing on his feet, rubbing his hands together vigorously, and Amy hugged the warmth close to her body.

"…So, where do you think Squall and Rinoa live?" asked Nida.

"I don't know exactly," shrugged Zell. "If you wanna know my opinion, I don't even know why they _moved_ out here in the first place. Must've wanted to 'get away from it all', I'll bet." Nida nodded his head; Fujin snorted.

"NOT ASSURING," she grumbled. "LOST ALREADY."

"Hey, not even Headmaster Cid knew where they were headed!" pointed Zell. "But, I think they're somewhere around Trabia Garden. It seems logical enough, and even if they aren't there, it'll give us a place to stay for awhile. Let's see, now…" Zell grabbed his head with his hands, and stirred his brain around until he remembered where Trabia Garden was located.

"That way," he pointed. "I'm pretty sure it was there. I don't remember exactly, but…"

"PERFECTION," muttered Fujin. Amy turned around and gave her well-camouflaged friend a stern look, and Fujin immediately apologized. The blue-haired young lady had no more idea where to look than any of them, so she decided to follow Zell's intuition and go in the direction he pointed.

Amy had to run to catch up to Zell. The light exercise warmed her up a little, and being around Zell always made her feel warm. Discreetly, Amy's delicate hand slipped into Zell's, and even though they were both protected with gloves, they still smiled at the touch. Not too far behind them, Fujin stuck her finger in her mouth and pantomimed a gag.

"GETS YOU HERE," she muttered. Nida playfully slapped her shoulders, and Fujin grinned as she pushed him into the snow. The two immediately started squealing and wrestling in the white blankets of frost, and despite Seifer's groaning, Amy and Zell joined in as well.

"This is so ridiculous," he muttered, observing the four-way wrestling match. Amy giggled, completely ignoring him as she and Nida mock-wrestled.

"ACK!! Nida, help! Your girlfriend…… accckkk!!! HELP!!!!" Everyone, even Seifer, laughed out loud as they saw Fujin put Zell's lower limbs in a leglock, but the brash young man was not in such a good mood.

"You're on your own, Zell," chuckled Amy. Zell swore, and squealed out loud as Fujin twisted his thighs. Sighing in defeat, Nida slowly approached the two of them and, in a single word, separated them.

"Behave," he whispered, kissing Fujin's cheek. She snorted and crossed her arms, but even when trying to look tough, she gave off a loveable aura--sort of. Amy let out the loudest laugh of them all, and soon even Zell was smiling. His legs, he discovered, weren't in _that_ much pain.

Suddenly, a horrible roaring sound shattered the friendly air, and a gigantic creature covered with fur and a little blood stomped into the clearing. Everyone shrieked and backed away as they saw it coming, even Seifer. The creature was huge, easily as tall as all of them put together, and was completely covered with snowy-white fur. Its face was half-filled with a toothy mouth, the other half being occupied by a fierce face. Amy recognized it instantly, even though she had never seen one of its kind before in her life.

It was a Yeti.

"Bad news," grumbled Zell, hastily fitting his fighting gloves on. "Looks like hairy here's a party-crasher. Well, this'll give us all some good exercise. Who wants some?!?!?!?!?!?!" Amy nearly slapped her own face as Zell got into a fighting position, and the young man's cockiness came to full circle as he challenged the sasquatch to a duel. The dumb creature did not understand his speech, but it was sentient enough to know that it was hungry, and there were five small but satisfying morsels right before it.

Zell stormed in first, giving the creature two terrible whaps with his fists. This knocked the brute down long enough for Nida to perform a Scan.

"It's weak against fire, obviously," noted Nida. "Zell hit it pretty hard, but it still has a lot of fight left in it. Seifer, Fujin, you two attack it directly! Amy, while they're distracting him, you attack from behind!"

"But all my attacks are of the Ice element! It won't do us much good to expose him to something he feels every day!"

"True, but it'll buy us some time at least. Just trust me!" Amy took in a deep breath, and wordlessly transformed into Sailor Mercury. As she made the metamorphosis, every mouth hung open in awe and every eye bugged out in surprise. Obviously, only Zell had seen her transform (and even he was startled), so their amazement was understandable.

When Sailor Mercury emerged once again, Fujin had to swallow awfully hard before speaking.

"AMAZING!" she hissed. "RESEMBLANCE UNCANNY!"

"We can talk later!" shouted Seifer, unleashing Hyperion from its prison. "We've got a snowman to thaw!!" Fujin wordlessly nodded her head, and the two friends dashed forward with their weapons singing merrily. Seifer's Hyperion cleaved an incredibly deep gash in the creature's belly, and the bullet that shot out of his gun blade nearly blasted the Yeti to nasty pieces. Fujin quickly followed up by carving the Yeti like a fowl creature with her own weapon, leaving speedy Mercury to dash behind the monster.

"Aqua Mirage Rhapsody!!" Before the Yeti could recover from its nasty blows, several jets of piercing-cold water impaled it, sending even the frost-loving Yeti shivering. The creature roared out in anger, and turned around to murder its attacker in a single blow. The warrior of ice froze (no pun intended) as she gazed at the immense creature towering over her, and was not prepared for the vicious backhand that the creature dealt her. The blow sent her flying straight into a pine tree, then towards the floor in a slump.

"AMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The entire field of ice and snow suddenly shattered as Fujin's voice grew to powerful proportions. The pale woman became absolutely enraged, and flew into a fierce, uncontrollable berserk state that not even a demon would want to face. With her hair flying wildly, and her ruby-red eye screaming for her injured friend, Fujin dashed forward and threw her pinwheel with the force of a lightning bolt.

It struck the creature's belly with such a force that it nearly cleaved it in two, but Fujin didn't stop there. Still in an uncontrollable rage over seeing her dear friend hurt so, Fujin screamed out for retribution and slammed her pinwheel into the face of the monster, hacking its head in two. The creature fell to the ground, probably still unaware that it had been attacked, and with a final bloody and barbaric toss, Fujin decapitated the monster.

Needless to say, everyone was shocked.

Slowly, Fujin calmed down and drew in several deep breaths. She waved the hair out of her eye, then casually walked over to where Sailor Mercury was laying. With a gentle smile that betrayed her previously-fierce nature, Fujin bent down to examine her friend.

"AMY, OKAY?" she asked. Sailor Mercury winced, and slowly dug herself out of the snow she had fallen in. With a weak smile, she stared up at Fujin, and allowed the snowy woman to help her up. Suddenly, as if only now the shock was wearing off, Zell snapped.

"Holy crap, Fujin!!!" he blurted. "What was _that?!_"

"DON'T MESS WITH AMY," pointed Fujin to her friend. Zell's face turned to the color of the white substance below him, and Nida's did as well; Seifer laughed out loud. Mercury, who had seen the whole thing, smiled warmly as she realized the true depth of Fujin's loyalty to her. She gave Fujin a sudden hug, and whispered her thanks.

"…Thank you, Fujin…"

"LOVE YOU," replied the pale girl. "WANT YOU SAFE. WILL KILL ANYTHING THAT HURTS YOU." Amy's smile grew to the size of her guardian planet, and the two girls hugged all the tighter.

"Whew," whistled Zell, "remind me to never get on Fujin's bad side! Yikes! I'm just glad everything's cool between me and Amy! Hey, Nida!"

"Hm?"

"How in the world do you _stand_ that girl?!" Nida smiled knowingly, and chose to remain silent as he joined the two ladies.

"Who, Fujin? She's as gentle as a lamb!" He grinned at her, and rubbed his nose against hers; Zell rolled his eyes and groaned out loud.

"Uh, yeah right…"

__

Amy… I just want you to know that… if things came down to it, I would fight just as hard if you were hurt. I… want to keep you safe. You're such a special girl; you deserve to be protected. You have so much to give, and that's why… Well, that's why… I love you.

You were right. We are pieces to a puzzle--a puzzle that, when complete, shows a wonderful and beautiful picture.


	17. Savage Ice

Author's note: This chapter would have been up _weeks_ ago if it hadn't been for the disease that spread through ff.net recently. Unfortunately, I lost the original document in said disaster, so I had to rewrite everything from scratch. With the recent sickness that this crazy website has been going through, it's a wonder that any work can get done at all! Please excuse the delays, as most of them were beyond my control. Oh, I've also been busy with funeral arrangements. My grandfather passed away on the 26th of June, and I was one of the pallbearers, so perhaps you can understand why I've been delayed so. Thank you for your prayers and your patience. I promise to make it up to you all!

XVII: Savage Ice

There was cold and there was ice; there was frost and there was snow; there was Fujin and Amy, Zell and Nida, and Seifer; there was a gray sky above, and empty white ground below, and haunting trees that stood tall with snow caked on their branches; there was a distinct tundra in the distance, where the earth had been scorched slightly from an explosion, and the skeleton of a building standing right in the middle of it. Zell only noticed this.

"Hey!! We're here!!" He smiled and waved at his traveling companions, and they all climbed the little hill he was on to get a better view. In the distance, past all the fields of white and the mountains in the great distance, there stood the remains of what was once something proud and noble. But now, that was all that was left: the remains. Amy frowned as she saw the skeletal structure, and her sigh created a misty cloud in the cold air.

"What is it?" she asked.

"That's Trabia Garden," pointed Zell. Amy crossed her eyebrows in disappointment.

"What? You mean we came all the way out here just to see this??"

"Urgh, no…" he grumbled. "We actually came out here to see Squall n' Rinoa, but I figured we could swing on by here first, y'know?" Amy tilted her head in confusion, and took another look at the structure. The reason why anybody would want to come near that place was unknown to her; even Zell was not silly enough to "just come". She had heard many things about Trabia Garden, and even knew about the missile attack, but somehow she had expected more than this…

"COME," said Fujin, pushing Amy ahead gently. "GET INSIDE. WARM."

"I agree," shivered Nida. "For the time being, we should seek shelter in the Garden. It won't do us good to stay out here and freeze." Everyone agreed, and despite Amy's disappointment at seeing the ruined Garden, she had to agree that it was a better place to be than out in the cold.

What awaited them beyond the fence was a land blanketed in destruction. Everywhere the eye could see, there were overturned trees, crumbled statues, cracked streets, and a general disarray of property and construction. Everything was in ruins, but not so much so that the land had been turned into waste. No, this was not a hopeless shell of the Garden it used to be, for even though destruction hovered everywhere, there was still a bright and even hopeful feeling in the air. The survivors of the missile attack were all milling around, attending to everything from each other to the ruined land. They were all in a surprisingly upbeat mood, despite the fact that the Garden around them was no more.

"…What a horrible place…" whispered Amy. Zell sighed and scratched his head.

"Yeah, this place is pretty much a dump, no thanks to you-know-who." Instinctively, everyone turned towards Seifer except for Fujin, but he only offered them silence. Zell snorted, and ignored his fellow blonde as he led the group inside Trabia Garden. Amy had been told earlier that this place used to be Selphie's home, so perhaps all the cheer and hope she felt in the air had rubbed off from her.

"Hey!! Amyyyyyyyyyy!!!!" Suddenly, a loud call erupted, and Miss Mizuno looked around to see who had called her. Her face grew into a big grin as she saw the familiar face of Vera Grate, and everybody present, even Seifer, gave the retired General their finest salute.

"Instructor Grate! What are _you_ doing here?!" exclaimed Amy. Vera Grate smiled slyly and crossed her arms.

"Well, you didn't expect your own teacher to let you leave without saying good-bye first?" The Instructor laughed at her own words, but nobody else seemed to get the personal joke. Vera grumbled as she noticed their dry dispositions, and let out a cold sigh.

"Okay, okay, that was a poor excuse. I _really_ came up here to attend a reunion with the other members of the Savage Six. They wanted to meet the son of the man who personally rid the world of Adel, I guess, and I got dragged along with them. But I guess we killed two birds with one stone, eh?" Amy smiled and nodded, and silent snowflakes fell for just a brief period.

"Hey, Vera!!" called another voice. "Are you gonna stand there all day or are you gonna join us?!" Instructor Grate rolled her eyes and feigned a growl as she called back to her five comrades.

"Buncha fools… Just be patient!!! Here, I have some people over here that you all should meet!!" Vera hoisted her arm in the air and began waving, and soon a group of five emerged from the wreckage: Virgil Homer Smythe and Brutuz von Rightfield of Windhill, Changeman of the Shumi tribe, Morpheus of Estar, and the leader of the group, Turn. Two of them were definitely human, and one was a semi-evolved Shumi, but the others could be speculated upon. They all smiled and waved as they saw their female ally, and the Savage Six were reunited again. They had not seen each other in nearly six years.

"Ohhh, it is great to see you!" sang Vera, giving hugs all the way around. The man she was hugging grinned back, and suddenly paused as he recognized one of the people in Amy's entourage. Fujin gasped as she laid her eye on him, and squealed out something that _nobody_ had expected.

"DADDY!!!"

"My baby!!!" The two rushed at each other, and threw their arms around the other in a tight embrace.

"DADDY, DADDY!!!!"

"My little baby Fu-Fu!!!!" The two cried and wept as they held each other, leaving everyone else stricken stupid with amazement.

"Fujin's _father?!_" squeaked Amy.

"She called him _daddy??_" blurted Zell. Nida's eyes twitched.

"…He called her 'Fu-Fu'…" The man hugging Fujin growled, and gave everyone a nasty glare. Nida and everyone else instantly apologized for offending him, and the man gave off a bright smile in return. Fujin squealed out for joy, and stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

"This is nuts!" blurted Zell. "I didn't know Fujin's father was still alive! I thought she was an orphan like the rest of us! What's the deal?!"

"NOT ORPHAN," said Fujin, holding her father protectively. "LIVED IN WINDHILL. LEFT DADDY FOR GARDEN. MISS TERRIBLY. HAPPY NOW." Fujin smiled sweetly, something that only a very few people had seen, and everyone else more or less took this new piece of information with a grain of salt.

Fujin's father was the respected General Virgil Homer Smythe, which would have made both her and her brother Smythes. He was taller than his daughter, but not quite as tall as his son, and looked to be a year or two older than Vera. His skin was of bronze tint, and his hair was quite dark, both of which Raijin seemed to inherit. He was not exactly an old man, nor was he too young, and was normally very grave and serious.

But around Fujin…

"I'm so glad to finally see my little baby Fu-Fu again!" sang the General, squeezing his beloved daughter tightly. Fujin's face was so aglow that she could have lit a cave; it had been the first time since Amy's arrival that anybody had seen her so happy. Fujin allowed herself several tender moments reuniting with her father before things took a more serious turn, but even then she had a smile on her normally-stoic face.

"So, how's your brother?" asked the former General. Fujin shrugged.

"OKAY."

"Has he found a girlfriend yet?" Fujin made a face, and wondered what kind of answer she should give. The last time she checked, Raijin had both Xu and Selphie fighting over him.

"SORT OF."

"That's good," nodded the General. "Rai shouldn't be alone. Oh! Who're your friends?" Fujin pointed a pale hand towards the company that she had been traveling with and introduced them.

"ZELL," she pointed. "EVERYONE ELSE YOU KNOW." Smythe nodded his head, and suddenly gasped as he recognized the crew. He immediately threw his arms around a very startled Seifer first.

"Seifer! Seifer, my boy! How are you?! I haven't seen you since you were with General Caraway's daughter!!"

"Uhhh… I'm… fine, sir," managed Seifer. His face was contorted in confusion, and he didn't know whether to be repulsed or to simply hug back. Fujin smiled dryly and rubbed her father's shoulders.

"SEIFER AMNESIAC, DADDY," she told him. "BETTER THOUGH. SINGLE TOO."

"Oh…" Smythe grew genuinely sad, and shook his head as he gazed at the younger man's face. "That's too bad. Losing your memory and your girlfriend all at once… what a pity…"

"I'm fine now, sir," assured Seifer stiffly. Smythe smiled, and suddenly tossed Seifer away as he recognized another member of the party. Nida rolled his eyes and braced himself for the hearty embrace that was inevitable.

"Nida!! Nida, my boy!! I haven't seen you in ages!! How are you?! Treating my Fu-Fu well, I hope!"

"Uh, y-yes, s-sir…" muttered the poor pilot. "Your daughter's… um… really great…"

"But of course!" exclaimed the General. He punched Nida's shoulders playfully, and gave the young man a wink. "So, when can I expect some grandkids from you two, eh?" This last remark made both Nida _and_ Fujin blush, and while a reddish hue might've been common to the young man, seeing Fujin's pale face turn pink was something totally different. Smythe saw both their faces, and laughed like he was a grandfather already.

"Oh, don't take it so seriously!" he guffawed. "I was just kidding! But really, Nida, when are you gonna make an honest woman out of my baby Fu-Fu?"

"I… really don't know," replied the young man with a difficult smile. "We're taking things pretty slow now."

"I see," smiled the General. "Well, no rush!" He gave Nida another hug for good measure, then clung to Fujin again, who gladly took the embrace. Vera, and the other members of the Savage Six, all shook their heads and rolled their eyes at their comrade's performance. They understood his joy at reuniting with his daughter and her friends, but they had business to take care of, and all this happiness was cutting into their time.

"Virgil… we're happy that you're back with Fu again," began the Shumi Changeman, "but we really need to get back to business." Smythe turned around and gave the Shumi a fierce glare, and the poor creature instantly apologized for interrupting. If the Savage Six had learned anything from their friend, it was that they should _never_ interrupt his quality time.

Smythe grinned as he gave his daughter a kiss, but the smile faded fast as he spotted another person he recognized--that of Amy Mizuno. His forty-five year-old hands dropped to his side, and both his mouth and eyes shot wide open. Smythe nearly fell to his knees from quivering, and when his voice finally did come back to him, it was no steadier.

"You… you're… I, I can't believe it…! Fu, is this…?"

"NO," replied Fujin flatly. "NOT AMY. COINCIDENCE." Smythe swallowed, and slowly stood up. He smiled sheepishly, and offered his hand to Amy.

"Yes, I see," he whispered. "This couldn't be Amy Mizuno. Oh, but the resemblance _is_ uncanny, yes?" The members of the Savage Six all gathered around the blue-haired genius, each one remarking how similar she looked to the "real" Amy Mizuno. Amy knew that she was famous, at least in that world, but she never could have realized…

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that it _was_ her!" remarked Turn, the leader of the Six. "By Hyne, what a strange resemblance!"

"Yes…" muttered the humanoid Morpheus. "I was afraid I'd have to get a new prescription…" The Five of them (minus Vera) all muttered and mumbled how striking the resemblance was, but level-headed Vera Grate brought them back to their original mission.

"Listen," she said, "this is all very strange and all, but don't we have somewhere to be?"

"Oh, right, President Loire's son," muttered Smythe. Vera nodded her head.

"Right. It's too late today, so we might as well find somewhere to rest. We'll all go over there tomorrow. Mr. Dincht?" Zell, who for the most part had been forgotten, suddenly snapped to attention and saluted his superior officer.

"Yes Ma'am!!"

"You're free to come along with us, if that's your destination. Turn lives around this area, so he'll show us exactly where they are. For now, you're free to take lodgings in Trabia."

"Yes, Ma'am! Thank you, Ma'am!!" Vera smiled and dismissed Zell, and gave Amy and her crew one last farewell before tiring. Her comrades followed her, but Smythe remained with his daughter and possible son-in-law. The former asked her father what the matter was, and a fairly big cloud of cold smoke came from his mouth in the form of an exhaled sigh.

"Fu… there's something I need to show you… And Seifer and your friend, too."

"WHAT?"

"…The truth," whispered Smythe darkly. He swallowed, and mentally wondered whether his daughter and her crew were really prepared for such a thing. "I discovered something here a long time ago, something that none of you will like. You will most definitely experience great trauma just by looking at it, but nobody ever said the truth was easy to handle. I won't show you what it is if you don't want me to."

"What is it, sir?" asked Amy. Smythe paused and grumbled.

"I can't say. You'll just have to believe me until we actually get there. If you don't want to come, that's all right, but…"

"DADDY… ABOUT AMY?" Smythe took in a deep breath, and quietly nodded his head. In the chill of the ruined Trabia Garden, Fujin hugged herself, and slowly muttered out her reply.

"WILL GO."

"Me too," said Amy. "I have a feeling that I should know what this is."

"I guess, if I'm invited, I'd better go as well," shrugged Seifer. Smythe nodded his head quietly, and pointed off in a southern direction.

"It's out there somewhere," he said. "…Buried under all that snow, forever. You'd better be absolutely sure of yourselves before you come along."

"Now we _have_ to see what it is," remarked Seifer dryly. Nobody smiled; Nida clicked his tongue and stepped forward to volunteer his presence.

"Can I go too, sir?"

"No, Nida…" sighed Smythe. "Nothing personal, but this really doesn't involve you. One day, maybe myself or Fu will let you know, but not today. You're a fine man, Nida, and I like you very much. I know you'd make my baby Fu-Fu happy, and I'd be proud to have you as a son-in-law. But… well, this really doesn't involve you." The average-looking young man sighed, and quietly agreed to stay behind. With a wave of his hand, Smythe urged his daughter and her two closest friends forward, and together the four of them dove into the savage wastelands of ice.

"Huh…" muttered Zell. "Wonder what that's all about??"

Five mugs of beer clinked together, and five loud cheers echoed in the room. Each drink vanished in record time, and another laugh erupted. It was fairly early in the evening, and five of the Savage Six were having a reunion celebration.

"So, how long has it been since the six of us were in the same place?" asked Turn. Everyone smiled.

"Six long years, I believe," replied Brutus von Rightfield. "Wow, what a long time it's been! Most of us are already grandparents--Vera!!!"

"Not me," sighed the only female of the group. "My oldest is barely in college. Brutus, I thought _you_ were the grandfather of the group!"

"Hey, my kids aren't that old yet," argued the former naval General. "Remember, it's only been eighteen years since the fall of Adel. I'd be worried if us younger ones were grandparents already."

"Not me," said Changeman, raising his class in the air. "Changeman already father to a father."

"True, but Shumis gestate faster," argued Morpheus. He smiled, and shook his head sadly. "Looks like I'm the only one here who's single. But Smythe seems to have a family growing." Turn nodded his head.

"Yeah… But I heard his kids had a hand in the recent Sorceress War, with Ultimecia. What do you make of that?"

"It's in the past," snorted Morpheus. "Fujin and Raijin were about as interested in all that as a child is interested in politics. I heard they were merely going along with that friend of theirs--umm, Seifer I believe…"

"A bad influence?" grumbled Rightfield. Everybody mumbled, but nobody offered any suggestions. "He seems to have changed, though. Ms. Smythe, Virgil's daughter, said he had amnesia or something. You believe that?"

"I do," replied Vera, gulping down more beer. "I've had a chat with Mr. Almasy. He's not acting; he really has no clue about anything. But, it's better to let sleeping dogs lie. He seems a lot happier now that he's had that burden removed."

"Agreed," replied Turn. "Now, let's not stay on that subject anymore, all right? All this talk is becoming sour. What about that woman, the one who looked like Amy Mizuno? Now _there's_ a topic!!"

"Hm, I still can't believe she's not the real one," muttered Rightfield. "But I guess I'm just being stubborn. After all, the Miss Mizuno we knew vanished during that mission up here. You remember that, sir?"

"Do I?" said Turn darkly. He paused, and swallowed his beer extra-slow. "…How could I forget?"

"We never did hear what happened to her after that," muttered Vera. "What do you suppose became of her?"

"No clue," sighed Morpheus. "But a person who had bonded so close with a GF… They're not common. It's a pity we had to lose such an exemplary person. I do wonder what became of her……"

The world surrounding them was a shade of white that did not suggest purity, but emptiness instead. There was snow on the ground, vast fields of white frost and ice and chilling shreds of cold water. There fell from the sky great crystals of sharp, stinging, freezing pain, that slowly piled onto the ground and the bodies and made everything white and empty.

Trabia Garden was long gone by now, enveloped forever in the infinite fields of wind and ice. There were no trees visible, nor mountains, just the white snow. Even the sky above was a dim gray color, so it was impossible to determine which direction was up, or down. The temperature was inhumane, and the winds howled like ghosts of people slaughtered ages ago. There was nothing out in this icy desert except for the color white, and four people who might have been lost.

General Virgil Homer Smythe of the Savage Six seemed to know where he was going, which would classify as a miracle. Everyone else had to rely on him, and each other, if they wanted to escape the cold mouth of winter. One would think that these individuals would be well-suited to cold temperatures--after all, Amy was the warrior of ice, and Fujin exuded a cold aura, and Seifer never was much of a warm person--but in the freezing hell of icy fires and snowy embers, even these were but human.

The winds were very powerful and cold. Seifer and Smythe fought them well, but Amy was not strong enough. She was often protected from both ice and wind by Fujin, who would even stuff Amy inside her own jacket. Amy would always voice her concern for Fujin, who even now was looking a little frostbitten, but Fujin would always smile and shrug it off. If Amy was safe and warm, she reckoned, then everything would be okay.

Amy cried to herself at Fujin's selflessness, and had to wonder what sort of deeds the "other" Amy did to make Fujin so dedicated. She knew she could never replace such a friend, or even fill in the shoes, but neither Seifer nor Fujin, nor Raijin back at Balamb, seemed to mind.

Suddenly, Smythe came to a stop, and shouted for everyone else to halt as well. For a short period, the wind and the snow crashed against the four of them, and only the howling of the merciless wind broke the freezing silence. Without another word, Smythe knelt down in the snow and began digging something out.

"What's going on, sir?" shouted Seifer over the winds.

"You'll see," came the reply. A frosty Fujin managed to speak.

"DADDY, NEED HELP?"

"Just stay warm for now," instructed the General. "This won't take long." Fujin shivered in an attempt to nod her head. Amy suddenly emerged from her jacket, feeling like a piece of bread straight from a warm oven. She shivered, and smiled as the cold briefly relieved her hot body. Without wasting a second, she turned around and used her toasty hands to rub life back into Fujin's face, but of course the woman protested.

"NO! STAY WARM."

"But you'll freeze to death!" insisted Amy. Fujin shrugged and pointed at Amy.

"DON'T CARE. MORE IMPORTANT."

"I am not! Seifer, help me talk some sense into her!"

"She's right, Fu," said Seifer. "You're starting to look like a Popsicle. Let Amy warm you up, okay?"

"BUT--"

"Fujin, do as your friends tell you," grunted Smythe as he dug. Fujin let out an icy sigh, and permitted Amy and Seifer to warm her up. Both gladly shed excess clothes, and covered her cold face with scarves and hats. In the end, everybody had smiles on their face, even Fujin (though hers was hidden).

But the smiles died instantly as Smythe stood up from his excavation, and what he unearthed made the freezing weather outside seem scorching, for right there in the middle of the empty snowfields was the body of Amy Mizuno.


	18. On Wings

XVIII: On Wings

"Oh my Lord!!"

Amy Mizuno quietly covered her mouth, too stricken with fear to do anything else. Her body immediately failed her, and she sank to the snowy ground in a heap. She wanted to cry, or scream, or even ask why any of this was happening, but the only thing she managed to do was shiver on the ground, and let the snow cover her body up.

That was _her_ lying there. That was _Amy Mizuno_ there before her. There was no doubt about it. The girl on the ground, and…… the girl on the ground… They were both… the _same_ person… And Amy… She… could not believe…

A squeak came from Fujin's mouth, and the pale woman did exactly what her father thought she would. She wept, bitterly, and fell to her knees in dumbstruck confusion and wordless wonder. Tears came freely from Fujin's face as she saw Amy Mizuno, the "real" Amy Mizuno, the one _she_ had known… Tears came to her eyes as she saw the person who had _really_ been her best friend for life, and her mouth yawned open in pain and agony, and she so badly wanted to……

"Amy?" she squealed in her normal voice. Fujin's white hands went for the stiff digits of the real Amy Mizuno, and clasped the cold fingers delicately. Fujin let out a wail, and let her tears turn into snowflakes as she cried bitterly over her closest companion. A sudden cry of unbridled animalistic rage came out of the pit of her mouth as she hugged the frozen body close to her own, and her father allowed her to scream to her heart's content.

"…That's… Amy…" muttered Seifer to himself. He too fell to the white ground, and prostrated himself so much that his face was buried in the snow. He did not want anybody to see him cry, for an old memory of his had been sparked, one of happier and warmer days, when the world was kind and innocent and beautiful, and when a gentle blue-haired girl was able to light up even the darkest of days.

"…I… know that girl," muttered Seifer to himself, squeezing the frozen snow in his fists. "I know her… She's Amy, my best friend… She was like a sister to me, back in those days… I, I met her the very day I met Fujin… Those two…" He smiled despite his grief, and buried his face in the ice below him.

"…Those two were absolutely inseparable," he muttered to himself. "They were closer than sisters… And… I, I fell in love with them from the start--_real love_…" He chuckled again, and wept openly for his beloved Warrior of Ice. A few seconds later, Fujin finally decided to cease her screaming, and held Amy's icy body to her own instead. She ripped off her eye patch, showing the scar and the festering wound that had been caused by a cancer early in life. Her tears touched the stiff body, but no life came to it.

"Amy…" Her naked face touched the frozen woman's, and tears never stopped coming from Fujin's only functional eye as she rubbed her white nose against her friend's frostbitten one. With a shudder, she ignored the cold of the day and buried her face in the girl's shoulder, and cried on it for one final time.

"Yes," said Smythe, who had observed everything with silence. "She's dead, very much dead. I, too, thought she was missing when she didn't show up after that mission, and though I was bogged down by many other things, I couldn't stand to see my baby Fu-Fu sad like that. I resolved to find Amy no matter what, and…… well, I guess you could say that I was successful. I'm… really sorry, everybody…"

"No…" whimpered Fujin, her voice unnaturally soft. "No… No…"

"I'm sorry, precious…" whispered Smythe. He slowly wrapped his arms around his daughter's body, and let Fujin hold something that wasn't frozen solid for awhile. The pale girl still cried bitterly, and whispered her father's and Amy's names over and over again. The "other" Amy Mizuno, the one who was also Sailor Mercury, slowly crawled forward to examine her other self.

The resemblance really was uncanny. It was like looking into a mirror.

"Now I see…" muttered the young lady to herself. "…So, that's why everybody…"

"Yeah," said Smythe, still cradling his daughter close. "Everyone in Balamb and Trabia thought you were dead and gone, and I guess they were correct. They had every right in the world to freak out when they saw you alive and well. I must admit that I thought I saw a ghost when you came around."

"Daddy…" Smythe sighed, and kissed his daughter's forehead lovingly.

"Oh, sorry, sweetheart," he whispered. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"

"Daddy…" Virgil Smythe and Fujin continued to hold each other in that empty cold field, oblivious to the ice around them, while Seifer paid silent homage to the dead girl. He both wept and prayed, and gave her as good a benediction as he knew how. A little bit of his memory had came back--just a little bit--and thankfully, or perhaps fittingly, only the happy memories with his friend had surfaced.

"The Lord bless thee and keep thee," muttered the one-time rogue. "The Lord protect thee in times of danger… The Lord give unto thee His blessing… And preserve your soul forever, amen."

"…Amen," chimed Smythe and Amy. Fujin shuddered, and finally ran out of tears to shed. Surprisingly, as she drew away from her father, she smiled sweetly, and silently thanked him. Amy, the one who was Sailor Mercury, slowly crawled forth to embrace her new best friend, and Fujin gladly accepted all acts of kindness.

"…I'm so sorry, Fu…"

"I love her," shivered Fujin in her gentlest voice. Amy smiled as she noted that Fujin did not use past tense. "She was… my ray of hope in this world. When I was very little, I was shunned because of the way I looked… like I said. Raijin tried sticking up for me, but… it still wasn't any good. My childhood was… absolutely horrible, and when my mother died…" She squealed out in grief, and held Amy all the closer. The blue-haired friend of many gave as much love and support as she knew how.

"…I… even thought of killing myself," whimpered Fujin, her quivering voice the epitome of despondency. "…I was only six at the time. Only six!"

"Fujin…!"

"It's true," sighed Smythe. "And I darn near did the same." Amy's chin dropped, and she stared in horror at the father-daughter duo. What kind of a horrible life could they have led, to drive them into self-murder at such a young age?!

"…But," continued Fujin, "when I thought all was lost, I… more or less found you." Her pale face brightened, and a smile finally came to her lips. "…Or should I say, her? Anyway, I found Amy one day, all alone and crying, and since I was sad too, I decided to join her. We bonded almost instantly, and were best friends before the week was over. Amy, you--I mean, _she_… She saved my life… Amy Mizuno saved my life…

"She was there for me every time I was insulted, or sad, or lonely… She stuck up for me when only Raijin and daddy were there… She held my hand, and gave me a smile, and said nice things, and laughed with me… and…" Now the tears returned to Fujin's face, and if it were possible, her bad eye would have gushed as well. Even Seifer had been moved by Fujin's passionate speech, and soon joined his two closest female friends in a warm embrace.

"…She broke me out of my shell," continued Fujin, her voice anything but calm. "Amy helped me so much… she was the light in times of darkness so many times… and there's nothing I can do to repay that. That's why I shielded you in the snow, Amy--because it was but a small token of my love, and just one more way to pay you back. I… love you, and I love her, and… without you, any of you, I……" Fujin finally broke down, and let her tears fall on Seifer's and Amy's shoulders.

A nasty person would have grinned at Fujin's declaration of love for Amy, but this was something beyond mere emotion. The bond and dedication these two girls had, and still had, was baffling. It went beyond definition, and since "love" was the most powerful way to describe such devotion, it was this word that Fujin used.

"…Amy… You're a wonderful woman…" whispered Seifer. He smiled happily, the first time he had done so in ages, and personally hugged her. Amy Mizuno, Sailor Mercury, had long ago lost the battle to her own tears, and to her speech, and took everything with wet eyes and a mute mouth.

__

Knock-knock-knock!

Rinoa Heartilly-Leonhart, no more clothed than a mouse on the day of its birth, grumbled and rolled over in bed slightly.

"Ughn… you get it…"

A snoring sound was her only reply. She sighed and clicked her tongue, and poked and prodded poor Squall until his eyes finally opened. He grumbled, not because of his wife's persistence, but because of the hour of the day, and wondered what could have possessed her to wake him like that.

But, as usual, "What?" was the only thing he said. Rinoa made a cute frowning face and tilted her head.

"The door, Squall," she pointed, and another trio of knocks came. Squall let out a groan, and made only the slightest effort to make himself presentable. Thankfully, he remembered just how cold it was out there, so after throwing on a terry cloth robe, he yanked the door open and greeted the visitor with a grumble.

"What?"

"SQAULL!!!!!" Poor Squall was instantly tackled by Zell, and landed on the floor with a gigantic THUD! He growled out in fury, and had to rip out several strands of blonde hair before the overly-enthusiastic young man let go.

"What is _wrong_ with you?!?!" barked Squall, finally standing so he could dust himself off. Zell sighed, and sat down on the floor with a sigh. He shrugged, and gave his "friend" a grin.

"Ho, man… sorry about that, but I haven't seen you in ages, man! How have you been?! How's Rinoa?! I heard you were gonna be a dad, too!! What's up with that?!" Squall grumbled out an expletive, and held his temples in irritation. His irritated attitude died instantly, and was quickly replaced with a firm military salute as Brutus Rightfield and Morpheus of the Savage Six entered his house.

"Mr. Dincht, try and control yourself," advised the humanoid Morpheus. Zell grinned and gave the man a thumbs-up; Squall kept his stiff salute. Morpheus sighed with exasperation as he saw it, and told the young man to be at ease.

"Sir! I, ah, didn't expect to see you here!" managed Squall. Apparently, even _he_ held a high respect for the Savage Six. Morpheus gave off a lack-jawed smile and crossed his arms, leaving his companion Rightfield to explain.

"We figured that we should all pay a visit to the son of the man who ended the Sorceress War!" he exclaimed. Brutus stuck his hand out, and took Squall's in a firm grip. "It's a pleasure, sir!! Tell your father we hold him in our highest esteem!!"

"…………uh…………"

"Poor boy's probably puzzled to death," grumbled Vera Grate as she ducked inside the door. Squall snapped her a salute as well, but Vera only rolled her eyes. "At ease, son. We're here on holiday just like you. Oh, by the way, you might wanna get dressed before we do anything else. I don't mind, but we've got some younger ladies coming in, and… well…"

"Younger ladies?" parroted Squall. "What do you mean? What's all this about?"

"That's what I'd like to know!" came a younger female voice from further inside the house. The door opened, and Rinoa Heartilly-Leonhart--thankfully with a robe on--emerged to see what the trouble was. Squall rolled his eyes, sighed, and decided to sit down before things went into overload. People started talking all at once, and the small house quickly became overcrowded as more and more visitors came in.

"People…"

"Rinoa!! Hey, future-mama, you're lookin' good!"

"Zell! How are you?! Where's your girlfriend?"

"Well, she…"

"People…"

"Oh, Miss Heartilly!"

"Hi, Nida! Oh, uh…… umm, Fujin…"

"GREETINGS."

"So Rinoa, when's the baby due?"

"Yeah, I wanna know, too!"

"Seven months, I think…"

"Wow, cool!"

"People…"

"SETTLE DOWN!!!!" Fujin growled lightly as the assembly of people suddenly silenced, and with a single nod she smiled at Squall. "BETTER?"

"_Thank_ you…" Poor Squall sighed, and stood once again to address everyone in the room. "Now… can anybody tell me what's going on? I wasn't told that I'd get visitors. Is this another one of Zell's stupid ideas?"

"Hey man, that hurts!!" shouted Zell. Squall let out a groan of frustration… then suddenly, a sharp gasp pierced the air. Squall snarled and reflexively reached for his gunblade, but it was off in another room. His growl remained, though, and a path cleared as Squall and Seifer met for the first time in over a year.

"Oh… Seifer…" The clueless Mr. Almasy shrugged and scratched his head in confusion.

"Something tells me that I should know you from somewhere…" he mused. "But where, I don't know. …The lady, too. You both seem familiar."

"INSULTING," muttered Fujin. "REMEMBER THEM, NOT US?"

"Hey, so sue me for not being perfect!" snapped Seifer. "I'm just saying that these two look familiar."

"Huh? Seifer, what are you talking about?" asked Rinoa, and the dam broke once again. Everybody began talking at once, and neither Fujin nor Squall, nor any of the Savage Six, could have silenced them.

But…

"EVERYBODY BE QUIET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

In an instant, the room was dead silent, and all eyes were wide open, staring at the one who had shouted. Amy Mizuno took a deep breath, and darted her vision from person to person, daring them to open their mouths. Zell, whose smile was mostly out of amazement, did not expect such an outburst; not even Fujin saw it coming, and she knew Amy better than anyone.

"Mr. And Mrs. Leonhart," she began, "I'm willing to tell you two what the situation is, and why we're all here, but everybody has to agree to keep quiet. Understand?" A pause.

"Yeah," came several replies. Amy closed her eyes and smiled.

"All right, good. Now… since this visit mostly involves me, I guess I should be the one who does the talking……"

"……and that's the whole story." Amy paused just long enough to catch her breath and allow everyone else to absorb what she had said. It had only been two months ago when she was embarrassed about letting others know of her secret, but because of the support given to her by true friends, she was no longer ashamed to admit who she was and where she came from. Vera, Zell, Nida, Fujin, and Seifer had already heard her tale (Zell had heard it twice before), but it was news to everyone else.

Even so, they took it pretty well.

"…Wow…" whispered Rinoa, a cup of hot chocolate slowly cooling in her hand. "…Amy, if I didn't trust Zell so much, I'd say you have an incredible imagination. Then again, I guess it really isn't much to think about when you consider things like Sorceresses and Time Compression and Guardian Forces."

"…I guess all that _would_ explain everything," mused Virgil Smythe. "It's altogether possible that there are other worlds out there, and it's very plausible that somebody bearing an exact resemblance to our Amy Mizuno should exist. It really is wonderful how similar the two of you are, or were……"

"So, you believe me?" asked the blue-haired young girl hopefully. Most everybody nodded their heads.

"You aren't insane," pointed Morpheus. "And it's perfectly obvious that you're not making this up, either. Everything is in great detail. A madman would not be so thorough with their stories, and a liar would leave loopholes in their story. No, your tale is quite believable, but I must admit that it is a strange one."

"Don't worry," assured Amy with a bright smile. "Sometimes I don't believe it either, and I live there!!" This drew a few chuckles out, most noticeably from Rinoa. The one-time common girl paused to finish off her drink, then raised her hand in question.

"…So you're trying to get back to your own dimension, and you think my sorceress powers might be able to help?"

"Yes, that's correct," said Amy. "Can you do it?" Rinoa shrugged, and let Nida carry her dishes to the kitchen for her. He returned just in time to hear her response.

"I'm sure I could. I've had my powers for some time now, so I've had plenty of time to master them. I'm sure I could open a nexus to your dimension, but I won't guarantee its ease."

"I'd never think of asking you to do anything harmful…"

"No, it's okay," argued Rinoa. "It's just that… I've never actually done something like this before, and I've never heard of it being done either. I'm fairly confident of myself, but all the same, I'd like for everybody to lend me their support." All heads nodded in agreement, and Amy kindly thanked Rinoa for her assistance.

"So, when do you feel up to doing this?" she asked. "I don't think a few more days spent here will affect anything in the long run, but if it's all the same, I would like to return home as soon as I can."

"I understand," said Rinoa with a smile. "I'd like to get rested up before I try this, and it's pretty late already--at least in Trabia. We can try tomorrow morning if you want."

"Perfect! Oh, but…… can I make another request?"

"Certainly."

"…Before we do anything else…" said Amy softly, "there's something I'd like to take care of."

"Like what?" A pause.

"I… have to say good-bye," whispered the blue-haired woman. "…To somebody I knew very, very well……"

Standing high on the cliff were an assortment of people, and a shell of a woman long since passed. The Savage Six, all of them, stood side by side, every one of them giving their finest salute. Fujin, Amy, Nida, Zell, and Seifer were all holding onto one loved one or another; Amy held Zell tightly and tried to remain calm, Nida hugged Fujin from behind and kissed her neck, and Seifer knelt down on the ground, his own fingers entwined with the dead girls'. Amidst the crowd stood Squall and Rinoa, both their hands locked together, both silent and solemn. Turn, the leader of the Savage Six, gave the eulogy.

"…We are gathered here to pay final respects to Amy Mizuno, the Ice Warrior, candidate for SeeD," he began. "…Amy Mizuno was born in Dollet to Li and Anita Mizuno, and was orphaned due to the Sorceress War. She was later adopted by General Virgil Homer Smythe of Windhill. She enrolled in Balamb Garden at age eleven, but unfortunately never officially became a SeeD, though she was worthy of the title. She died while on a mission in Trabia plains, but cause of death still remains unknown. She is not survived by any biological family members, but is instead survived by her adopted father, her adopted brother Raijin Smythe, her adopted sister Fujin Smythe, her friend Seifer Almasy, and countless others.

"…There is much I can say about Miss Mizuno's life… But, if I knew her at all, then I know that she'd want me to sum everything up in just one sentence. …She was a good soldier, and a great warrior, but in matters of friendship, she was the best. I shall miss her deeply." Turn cleared his throat, and covered his heart with his hand. All the other Savage Six covered their hearts as well, except for Smythe, who had knelt down to give Amy a final farewell.

One by one, everybody shuffled past the frozen woman, each paying respects in their own way. Nida and Zell, who had not known her, merely covered their hearts as well in the most honorable salute, as did Squall and Rinoa. Smythe let out a gust of air, and bent down to kiss the girl's frozen cheeks. His fingers touched her icy hair one last time, and he stepped aside to let Amy's closest friends pay respects.

Amy herself bent over the frozen girl, and whispered something that not even Fujin could hear. She smiled, clasped her counterpart's hand, and kissed the girl's forehead. Seifer gently held the woman's face to his own, and placed a dutiful kiss on her cold lips. His tears left slight impressions on her bluish face.

Fujin, to everyone's surprise, smiled as she gave her closest friend one final embrace. With her pinwheel, she slit her finger open a little, and wrote something on Amy's forehead with her own blood. Fujin dutifully kissed the frozen girl's lips as a sister should, smiled one last time, and let the girl go free.

With that, the Six pallbearers gently placed Amy's frozen body into the sea, and allowed the girl to rest for eternity. The word that Fujin had written on Amy's forehead was PHOENIX.


	19. Going or Staying?

XIX: Going or Staying?

One day passed since the funeral of the Ice Warrior, and now it was time for Sailor Mercury to go home. Rinoa Heartilly-Leonhart was as ready as she could get, and Amy herself was prepared for the journey, so in theory, everything was set.

The only problem was… how to say goodbye.

Amy couldn't do it.

"I'm sorry," she said, hanging her head in dejection. "I just… can't go through with it!" She let out a sigh, shaking her head in defeat. Her voice was understandably weak. "…I can't say good-bye to such good friends."

"Well, we don't wanna see you go either, Ames," pointed Seifer. "But… this ain't your world. You gotta return to your own place, right?" She sighed, moaning just slightly at her friend's words.

"Yes, you're right," she wailed. "I should… just… get it over with and… leave…" With a trail of tears obviously falling down her face, Amy slowly walked over to Seifer, gazing into his blue eyes sadly. Though he had been a rogue and a maverick in his life, Amy still loved him very much. There was a good side to the young man as well, and although he had a tendency to be rough even now, she still loved and respected him very much. Amy held him close and let tears stain his coat a little.

"I…"

"Ssh," whispered the surprisingly-compassionate Seifer, stroking her blue hair. "Long farewells were never necessary. I know it feels like you're leaving this world a second time, Amy, but… at least we know where you'll be going." His attempt at humor failed, but Amy let a smile on her face shine out anyway. She leaned forward and placed a kiss on his cheek, and backed away as she paid respects to her next friend.

Of the Savage Six she took their hands into her own, and of Vera she gave a quick hug. She merely smiled at Squall and Rinoa, of whom she did not know that well, then went to Nida for another tight embrace. Once she whispered her thanks to the ordinary young man, the hardest parts of her farewell awaited her.

Fujin's face was unreadable as Amy held her best friend.

"TAKE CARE," was all the older woman could say. Amy sniffled and looked into her friend's pale face.

"Is… is that all you're going to say, Fujin?" she asked. The woman of wind let a smile crease on her lips and played with Amy's hair a little.

"WHAT ELSE?" she asked. "WILL MISS YOU? LOVE YOU? DON'T GO? ALREADY EXPRESSED. NOTHING LEFT BUT FAREWELL."

"That's…" Amy shivered slightly at Fujin's cold reception, but stopped herself before saying anything else. Of course. Fujin was absolutely correct. She had already expressed every single feeling there was, and there was really nothing left to say except goodbye. Fujin had no regrets, none at all.

"…Sorry," said Amy, holding her friend closer. "…I just thought…"

"TEARFUL FAREWELL?" smiled Fujin wryly. She winked, and ruffled Amy's hair more. "TRUE, WILL MISS. BUT… MADE ME HAPPY. SPENT LITTLE TIME TOGETHER, BUT… WILL NOT FORGET. LITTLE HAPPINESS BETTER THAN NONE. BRIGHTENED LIFE." She smiled warmly, and wiped Amy's tears off with her pale hand. Amy sighed and apologized for being like that, and Fujin forgave her as always, and the girls held each other one last time before parting for good.

Shyly, Amy walked across the icy ground towards Zell, who thankfully showed a little more emotion than everyone else. Zell was never a good stoic; he _always_ expressed himself, even if the end result of these expressions was disastrous. That was but one of many qualities of his that Amy adored, and she would probably miss him more than anyone else.

"…Ahhh…" Zell sniffled as she approached, and tried not to cry as he smiled.

"…Well…"

"…Uhhh…"

"…Jeez…"

"…Umm…"

"…Err…"

"IDIOT!!" yelled Fujin suddenly. "KISS HIM, GET IT OVER WITH!!!" Amy turned around to stare at her friend in shock, and couldn't decide whether the woman was angry, impatient, or overjoyed. Amy suddenly burst out laughing, and rolled her eyes.

"Why don't _you_ kiss him?" she demanded. Fujin coolly crossed her arms and snorted.

"WILL, IF NOT QUICK." Amy grinned, and took her friend's threat seriously as she dashed towards Zell and tackled him with a big hug and a full-on liplock. Zell nearly burst out in a laugh himself as he heard the girls' verbal skirmish, and had hoped that Amy would take the _incredibly_ sound advice. As he held the petite and beautiful Amy in his arms, and pressed loving lips against her own, he was glad she did.

Almost everybody whistled and clapped, and the kiss lasted for some time before the unlikely couple broke it. Amy sighed, her face very flushed, and nearly giggled.

"Wow!" she blurted. "That was amazing!!"

"D-definitely!" whispered Zell in amazement. "That was, like……… whoa!!" They both chuckled, and their faces turned as red and innocent as apples. But their elated mood slowly died away, and a thick sense of gravity overcame them. Amy grew serious, and held Zell in her thin arms. This was going to be the last time that they could say anything to each other, and though there was no real time limit, how in the world could they convey so much?

"…This sucks," muttered Amy. Zell chuckled slightly, and patted her back.

"Yeah, for real… I… I don't want you to go…"

"I don't want to go either," sighed Amy, rubbing his shoulders gently. "I mean… I _really_ don't want to go… and not just because of you!"

"Yeah, I know," he smiled. "You've gotten to be pretty popular around here." She hummed softly, and stood on her tiptoes to kiss his nose. Though at first they seemed the unlikeliest of couples, they really had been pieces to a wonderful puzzle--she the meek and intelligent, he the outspoken and strong… They might have been opposites, but they were opposites that attracted each other strongly: through several bizarre yet memorable events, they had been united, in Mind and in Body, and were now all but inseparable.

"…But I admit," continued Amy softly, "you _are_ one of the biggest reasons why I want to stay behind." Zell grinned at her flattery, and for the first time since he had met the blue-haired lady, he didn't brush off a compliment.

"Yeah… I really grew to like you a lot while you were here…"

"Mmm, me too…" As Zell and Amy held each other, there came from Seifer's direction a most rude coughing sound, and the two turned around to see him glare at them coolly.

"Excuse me for interrupting this tender moment," he said flatly. "But if you two lovebirds don't mind, I would like to make a suggestion." They had both blushed at the mention of "lovebirds", but thankfully regained their fair faces by the time they asked what he had in mind. Throwing off the rebellious leer he usually had, Seifer grew unusually somber and looked off into the distant sky. Even Nida could tell that he was about to say something tender and deep.

"…I have decided to go with you," he said. A few protests and inevitable _"What?!"_s were spewed out, but the rogue ignored them all. "No, I'm serious. I've been thinking these past few days… thinking about what I did, and how it affected me, and how much this place really means to me. I… still don't know a whole lot about myself, and just for the record, I don't wanna, either.

"It's obvious that I can no longer stay in this world," he continued with a touch of sadness. "After what I did, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised at the way I was treated when I first arrived at Balamb Garden. I guess I'm to blame, and I guess they all had a right to be mad at me… So, I figured that I'd be doing them all a favor by leaving this world and going somewhere else."

"Seifer…" Rinoa, somebody who had had romantic interests in the rebellious young man, stepped forward and gently looked into his eyes. "…Are you certain that's what you want?"

"Yeah," he sighed confidently. "I can't stay here. What little memories I do have are all bad, except for the ones with Fu and Raij and Ames. If I go with Amy, then… well, maybe I can have a chance to _truly_ start over, with a clean slate. Think about it," he insisted. "I'll be in another world, where nobody knows who I am except for Amy. She can help me adjust, and I can live the rest of my life in a place that knows nothing of my crimes.

"So yeah," he said, "I'm going. Please, Rinoa…" Seifer stepped forward, looking gentle for the first time in years, and took her hands into his. "Please," he begged, "let me follow Amy into her world. Please…" The young sorceress sighed, and realized that there was little she could do to convince him otherwise. Not wanting to ruin his "romantic dreams" even further, she nodded her head once, and permitted him to go.

"Thanks," he smiled. "You were always good to me, even when I was a jerk."

"Seifer…?"

"Forget it," he said with a happy snort. He grinned, and Rinoa could not fight back the smile. She leaned forward and gave him a brief hug, and whispered for his luck. Squall, who had been observing everything with his usual silence, stepped forward and gazed at his archrival. The two longtime nemeses paused, calculated each other's moves, and nodded their heads in silent agreement. Squall then snapped a salute, making Seifer smile just barely. He had wanted to say something, but couldn't think of anything powerful or endearing--as always.

"SEIFER…" Stepping in front of the blonde was Fujin, one of her hands being kneaded by Nida. She swallowed, cast her face downward shyly, and managed to croak out her feelings. "…WILL GO WITH YOU."

"Fu…"

"NO," she said, anticipating his response. "WON'T STAY. WILL COME WITH YOU. PERIOD." Seifer blinked in confusion, and had to wonder what was on his friend's mind. Fujin suddenly gave him a warm smile, and placed her hand on his face.

"You're my friend, Seifer," she said in her "real" voice. "And you'll always be my friend. Back when we were running around for Edea and Galbadia, I followed you simply because you were my friend, my only _real_ friend after Amy… left us… and I didn't want you to do all that by yourself. I stuck with you to the bitter end, even though I hated what you were doing.

"And now, now that you're going away again, I have to follow," she continued. "We're part of the same posse, you and I, and if you leave me behind, what'll that say about us?" Keeping her smile, Fujin searched Seifer for answer, and he slowly returned her smile as he realized that she was right.

"…I see," he said slowly. "All right, I'll let you tag along, too. I know it'll make Amy happy to have you with us."

"It sure will!" exclaimed the girl. Fujin grinned.

"And what about 'him'?" said Seifer, pointing at Nida. The average young man snorted, and released his girlfriend's hand.

"Hmph… I guess I'd better keep Fujin company… She's not gonna like it without me around, and besides, I'd like to know Miss Mizuno more. And Seifer? I just wanna say one thing to you."

"What's that?"

"You're a jerk," pointed Nida. "A big jerk, and a reckless man, and a pain in the rear, and an annoyance, and a fool, and a cocky, arrogant, spiteful person. ………I LOVE YOU, MAN!!!!" Nida suddenly pounced on Seifer, hugging his neck fiercely and grinning like a lunatic. Fujin burst out in riotous laughter, as did Zell, Rinoa, and Amy, and even Squall let out a chuckle.

Seifer stared at Nida in horror.

"…Sure… right…" was all he could say. Fujin smiled warmly at the two men closest to her, and hugged their heads together.

"It's scary how similar you two really are," she whispered. Both Nida and Seifer gave each other puzzled looks.

"So if we're so alike, and you love him, then why'd ya dump me?" wondered the rogue. Fujin smirked wryly at her friend, and took Nida into her powerful and gentle arms.

"NIDA SEXIER," she hissed seductively. Two faces turned blood-red at this--one angry, one flustered.

"HEY!!!" yelled Seifer. He dove towards Fujin, who burst out laughing as she wrestled Seifer to the snowy ground. With a sultry finger she beckoned her boyfriend over to join the mock-fight, and soon the three of them were fighting on the ground like a bunch of little kids, or else just three friends who were close.

Amy's attempt to keep a straight face was in vain.

She looked over at Zell, who had long ago lost his own battle to the chuckles, and gave him an impish smile. He noticed her, and bore into her eyes in slight confusion. The look she was giving him was quite mysterious; it could have suggested anything.

"What?"

"Well?" she said, raising her eyebrows. The young man didn't have the slightest idea what she was talking about.

"Well what?"

"Aren't you going to come with me as well?" she offered. Zell did a double-take, and nearly spit out the hot dogs he had eaten a few months ago.

"Say WHAT?!"

"Yes!" squealed Amy. "Why don't you come with me?! Everyone else is, and if you don't, I'll miss you so much!! Pleeeeeease???" Zell's gaping-wide mouth gaped open even more as he heard Amy beg, and his eyes were the size of bowling balls by now. But despite his initial shock, Zell had to admit that it was a pretty good--though unbelievable--idea.

"…Uhh… well… I, uh…"

"You what?" demanded Amy, growing slightly angry from his response. "What, do you have something important over here? Something more important than me? Something that would prevent you from being with me? Do you honestly have anything to accomplish over here, anything at all?"

"Well, I--" A pause. Zell was certainly not the best thinker in the world, but after hearing Amy's argument (more like her shouting), he really and truly couldn't come up with any good reason _not_ to go with her. It was true that he called this place home, and he had friends too, and he loved this place……

But he loved Amy more.

"…Aww, what the heck!" he exclaimed. "You're right! I _don't_ have a reason to stay behind! Nope, not one! Heh, I guess I'm going with you after all!!" Amy squealed with delight, and rushed over to give Zell the biggest hug/kiss combination he had received in… well, minutes.

"Great," grumbled Rinoa happily. "That just makes things harder for me."

"Aw, shut up!" cackled Zell. "You're strong enough to take a million people over to Amy's world!!"

"Yeah, you can do it, Rinoa!" cheered Nida. Giggling softly, Rinoa waved away their praise and took a deep breath.

"I swear," she muttered, "you all will be the death of me--or should I say, '_would_ _have_ been the death of me', now that you're all leaving?"

"Whatever," shrugged Amy. Squall rolled his eyes.


	20. Deja Vous All Over Again

XX: Deja Vous All Over Again

It had been decided that Seifer, Fujin, Nida--and yes, Zell too--would be going with Amy when she finally returned to her own world. Seifer and Fujin would be leaving little behind, except for Raijin, and the last time anyone checked, he seemed _very_ well-off. Nida would not be terribly missed; he had in fact passed his reigns of pilot to the Garden to another just before leaving, and planned to go into business or trade afterwards.

It was Zell who would be missed--after all, there were friends and family that he would leave behind--but his reasons were legit. Still, it would be up to Squall, Rinoa, and Vera to inform everyone at Balamb of his choice, and of the choices of everyone else. Though only Zell would really leave a hole behind, it wouldn't do for Balamb to send out a search party, so somebody had to know what was going on.

But that would all have to happen in good time. For now, Rinoa had to do her part, and a final, final farewell had to be said to friends old and new.

The sorceress raised her hands in the air, chanting out what she hoped to be the incantation for a dimensional gate to open. Her husband was holding her, whispering words of kindness in her ear, and on occasion would kiss her neck or squeeze her slowly-growing belly. Amy's own hands were clasping Zell's; Fujin had her arms crossed, choosing to stare emptily at the world she was leaving. Nida, something of a spiritualist, was praying for Rinoa's success, and Seifer…

Well, he just smiled.

With a sudden sharp gasp, Rinoa's eyes shot open.

"I did it!" she exclaimed breathlessly. "I… I actually opened a tear in reality!!" Everyone looked over to the place where she was pointing, and noticed a definite "tear" in the very fabric of reality. Through some unknown means, Rinoa had opened up a doorway to Amy's dimension, and it was as visible and present as the white fields beneath them.

Many pairs of eyes gazed into the portal, daring to wonder what really laid behind that door, but only one pair really knew. The eyes of this one certain woman blinked once, and squeezed Zell's hand.

"Is everybody ready?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Then here goes nothing!" exclaimed the girl. Sensing their departure, the Savage Six each unsheathed their swords, raising them high in the air in their ultimate salute. One by one, they used their free hand to cover their heart, and each bade farewell as another person left the world.

"Amy Mizuno, salute!" barked Vera, and just like that, Amy was gone.

"Zell Dincht, salute!" barked Brutus von Rightfield, and soon Zell vanished. Rinoa shed a tear for him, and even Squall smiled as the young man left.

"Nida Franks… salute!" shouted Changeman, and without looking back, Nida left the world behind him.

"Fujin Smythe… salute!" quivered Virgil Smythe, unable to control his tears. Fujin paused, smiled warmly at her father, and rushed forth to hug him one final time.

"Daddy… don't worry about me," she whispered. Smythe could only cry.

"My… my little baby… My little baby Fu-Fu!!"

"Ssh," assured the woman. "This bird had to fly out of the nest sometime. Just think of this as marriage… And who knows, maybe you'll see me again." She smiled at her father, kissed him several times, hugged him once more, and publicly expressed her love.

"I love you, ya know?" she whispered. Sniveling, he nodded his head.

"LOVE YOU TOO," he replied, and with one final smile, they bade each other farewell. Rinoa cried again, but it was too late for regrets. Finally, the last man standing was next, and fittingly enough, he paused.

"Seifer Almasy…" began Morpheus, but he was silenced by Turn. The leader of the Savage Six gazed at Seifer with pride in his eyes, and for the first time in the young man's life, he was honored.

"Seifer Almasy…" said Turn in a thick voice, "…this world will miss you. Savage Six… salute!!" The members of the Savage Six each put their weapons away, and instead raised their fists in the air, giving Seifer their most cherished honor. He smiled quietly, saluted back in the same fashion, and took one last look at the world before leaving.

"Until we meet again," he said, and then Seifer was gone.

__

Emptiness.

One world passed.

Another slowly came forth.

Five special people sailed from one reality to another.

Five dreamers, smiling.

It was their turn now.

But for Amy, it was deja vous all over again.

Together, the four young women scoured the park, hoping for some sign that their friend was still there. They had not been searching long--in fact, they had just got there--and had already started to call out her name. A normal passerby would have thought they were all playing hide-and-seek, and one girl among them--"Amy", they called out--was an especially good hider.

The truth was, though, that Amy Mizuno was missing from that world, and she had been gone for some time now. Nobody could come up with an explanation for the girl's absence, but that would have to come later. Right now, they needed to find the missing member of their group. She was, after all, one of their own.

One of the girls, a woman with long black hair and piercing violet eyes, was aimlessly looking around a small group of pine trees. She didn't expect to see anything, nor did she expect to hear anything… And then, suddenly, from out of nowhere…

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!"

BOOM!!!!

"OWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!"

Raye Hino growled, rubbing her poor abused noggin gingerly as she sat up. Some THING had just fallen out of nowhere, and had smacked right into her, almost as if it were designed to just hit her! She would normally have blamed Serena Tsukino for such an unjust attack, but the blonde was off in another section of the park. Besides, the object that had struck Raye was moving--and _speaking._

"Ouch," grumbled a male voice. "That… _really_… hurt!"

"…Uh, Zell?" mumbled another male voice. "…Uhh… could you, like, get your elbow out of my stomach?"

"Oh, man, I'm sorry!!" shrieked the first male voice. Raye Hino's eyes bulged out until they were about the size of hula-hoops, and her hair frizzed out as she gazed at the massive pile of--as strange as it seemed--_human_ bodies. One of them poked their head out suddenly, shook itself, and looked up at the bewildered woman. With a single weak chuckle and wave, Amy Mizuno saw Raye for the first time in four months.

"…Ahhhh… hehehe… Uhhh, hi Raye… How's it, uhh… How's it going?" Raye Hino, a great martial artist and priestess, and one who could easily calm herself or ignite her fires, responded to Amy's meek greeting in the only way she knew how.

She screamed.

"AMY!!!!!!!! WHAT THE HECK JUST HAPPENED???!!!" Somewhat glad that her long-lost friend had not fainted instead--though not by much--Amy dashed forward and squeezed the brains right out of Raye. She sobbed uncontrollably, and wailed as she called the girl's name out time and time again.

"Oh Raye, Raye! I'm so glad to see you!! Raye, you don't know how much I've missed you in these past four months!!!"

"Four months?" parroted the priestess. Amy loosened her grip on the young woman slightly, and gave her a look.

"Yes! I've been gone for four whole months!"

"No you haven't!" insisted Raye. "Jeez, Amy, that blast must've really messed with your mind! You've only been gone for a day!"

"YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!" screamed the normally-quiet girl. She sent Raye tumbling, and the other girls a-running, and things quickly became chaotic as the worlds of Sailor Scouts and SeeDs collided for the second time.

"AMY!!!!" Three other girls pounced on their small friend, each one squealing and cooing over her appearance--and each one insisted that she had only been gone for a day. In fact, it had nearly been twenty-four hours to the dot since Amy left that world. Amy's head began to spin as she figured in these claims, and nearly fell to her knees from the blow. But who could blame her? She had spent four entire months with Zell and Fujin and Balamb, but over in her own world, only a day had gone by.

It was a miracle _she_ didn't scream as well.

One by one, the five girls each helped one of Amy's new friends up. Amy took the liberty of introducing each of them to her friends, and some people clicked better than others.

"…So… you're Amy's new best friend?" asked Serena shyly, looking fearfully into the face of Fujin. The pale woman, who had not known the warrior of the moon for more than two minutes, quietly nodded her head and tried to be as gentle as possible. Fujin had heard a lot of nice things about Serena from Amy, and had wanted to make a good first impression.

"AFFIRMATIVE. GOOD MEETING YOU."

"Ahh… right…" Serena smiled weakly, and tried her best to be friends with the woman. Normally, she could make friends with anyone, with almost no effort at all, but Fujin might very well have been an exception to that rule.

"Amy sure has met some strange friends," noted Raye as she helped Nida up. "But you don't look so different. What's your story?"

"…Well… It's kinda long…"

"Oh…" Raye paused, shrugged, and took Nida's hand into her own. "Well, that's okay. I have plenty of time to hear about it. I certainly would like to know where Amy's been this whole time, and why she thinks she's been gone for four months, and where the heck she found all you people."

"Again," said Nida, managing a weak smile, "it's a long story." Raye shrugged again, and promised one day to hear him out. Suddenly, a massive surge of squeals came from the girls, Mina especially, as they all saw Zell emerge from the pile of mangled people. Hearts came to everybody's eyes, even Serena's, and each girl let out a dreamy sigh as they saw just who this young man was.

"Oh, Amy!" wailed Mina dreamily. "Where did you find him?? He's absolutely _gorgeous!_"

"For real," sighed Raye. "He's so totally dreamy…!"

"Amy, _please_, tell us he's single!" sighed Lita, her face rosy. Zell's face was red too, though for a completely different reason, and he looked at Amy in confusion as she tried holding back a laugh. To the girls' shock, she walked over and wrapped her arms around his elbow.

"Sorry, guys, but he's all mine!"

"NO FRICKIN' WAY!!!!" screamed the girls, all of whom were now absolutely _blue_ with jealousy. Amy giggled again, and kissed Zell on the lips to prove it.

"She's right," said the blonde with a proud smile. "Amy and I are now officially an item!"

"NO FAIR!!!" whined the girls, their faces blue and their eyes watery. "Just when we finally see a completely-gorgeous and wonderful guy, he ends up being Amy's!!!"

"And just what is that supposed to mean?!" snarled Amy. Her friends saw her enraged face, and moaned as they realized that they had just insulted her deeply. Lita, who had been closest to Amy before the fight with the Void Droid, stepped forward to make an official apology on behalf of everyone else.

"We're so sorry, Amy!" she sang, her eyes shut in humility. "We didn't mean to say that! Of course it's fair! You deserve someone like him! You've taken the back seat to our own love lives for so long that… well, I guess it's all right if you snag yourself a good-looking guy like this!!" Zell's face was redder than a Stop sign by now, and even Amy had a smile on her face. The other girls, though still slightly jealous, began to applaud Amy's success.

"Woo-hoo!" squealed Mina, bringing back fond memories of Selphie. "Amy, you old fox! Pretending to be shy and quiet all these years, when you're really a super-powerful man-magnet! You go, girl!!" The other three ladies cheered as well, and even though they had no idea what was going on, Nida and Fujin clapped along as well.

Amy's face was even redder than Zell's.

"Uugggghhnnnn… helllllp…" Suddenly, everyone's attention was directed towards the last remaining person in the pile, who was still unfortunately on the ground. The girls nearly fainted as they realized they had left one behind, and Lita blurted out a hasty apology as she rushed over to help the poor guy.

"Oh, man! I'm so sorry! We forgot all about him!!" She bent over and grabbed his hand, hoisting up to his feet again. "I'm so sorry!" she wailed. "I'm so… so…… So…" Lita suddenly froze as she got a good look at the young man she was helping up. He groaned slightly, rubbing his head as he was helped to his feet, and opened his eyes so he could see who had helped him.

"Ughn, thanks miss, I… I…… I…" He froze too, his hand still clasped onto hers.

Seifer looked into Lita's eyes…

Lita looked into Seifer's eyes…

Seifer slowly smiled at Lita…

Lita slowly smiled at Seifer…

Seifer grew a dreamy look as he continued to gaze at the brunette…

Lita grew a dreamy look as she continued to gaze at the blonde…

Several mischievous eyebrows were raised and wiggled…

Lita sighed dreamily as she looked at Seifer…

And he sighed.

"I've got to get you into my life," he said. Lita smiled, then stuttered as she realized their hands were still clasped together. She yanked hers away and hastily apologized, but he only smiled.

"No, it's okay," he said, extending his hand once again. "My name's Almasy, Seifer Almasy."

"Wow," she whispered, her cheeks turning rosy as she took his hand, "what a great name…! …Oh, uh, I'm Lita, Lita Kino."

"Lita Kino…" Seifer smiled, and to the shock of Fujin and Zell, raised her soft hand to his lips and kissed it. "That too, is a beautiful name." She giggled softly, and continued to stare into his eyes. More than one girl present issued out an impish _ooooooooooohhh!!!_

"Ya see?" squeaked Mina, performing her classical "wink-with a smile-and-outstretched finger" maneuver. "Life really _is_ fair! Amy gets her nice guy, Lita gets her nice guy, and everybody's happy in the end!!" Seifer and Lita smiled at Mina's words, as did Fujin and Nida, and especially Zell and Amy. This was _definitely_ the start of a wonderful relationship, for all of them.

"(I've got a feeling things are gonna get a _lot_ more interesting around here,)" murmured Serena to Raye. The dark-haired girl could not agree more even if she tried.


	21. ThEnd

XXI: ThEnd

As always, the reliable hands of Father Time moved forward. Serena, Raye, Lita, and Mina all experienced a brief culture shock as they were formally exposed to the world of Garden and SeeDs, and Zell, Seifer, Fujin, and Nida each tried to take this brave new world they had vaulted themselves into with a grain of salt. Amy Mizuno, who had gotten a good taste of both worlds, offered to be the ultimate guide to her eight friends, so everyone was busy for awhile.

Amy had not missed anything in her single day of absence. In fact, it was almost as if she had never vanished at all. Sure, her friends had been concerned when they saw her disappear, and even grew a little sick from worry, but when they saw Amy reappear twenty-four hours later, they thought nothing of it. The poor blue-haired genius, on the other hand, had experienced the most shock. _She_ had been gone four months, and an explanation to the difference in time would probably be her next project.

Serena quickly made friends with Zell, who became something of a "best male buddy" to her. The two of them could often be seen grinning mischievously at each other, doubtless coming up with some kind of new scheme. Serena also liked Nida, and as with Amy, she would mooch off of his studies to better her own slipping grades. Seifer, who had literally just started his new life, was now a dear friend of the moon princess (he was dearer still to Lita), and once Serena really got to know Fujin, she treated the pale woman as another one of her closest friends.

Raye was overjoyed to have somebody as into martial arts as she was, and she and Zell could often be seen sparring. One would think that Chad would grow jealous, but he quickly became one of Zell's favorite people to hang around with. Neither Nida or Seifer grew particularly close to Raye, except for those times when Fujin would go over to the temple to meditate and take in the beauty of the new world.

As for Lita, she befriended most everybody. She hung out with Zell like the two had known each other since birth, and also grew close to Fujin, whom she could sympathize with (because of the fact that many people had feared them both). She treated Nida like she treated Amy, and as for Seifer, well……… one can only assume. Their relationship, put simply, _grew_ in the time they spent together.

Mina was one who also took in the four strangers. After Amy had explained to her friends who the strangers were, and where she had been "all that time", Mina instantly zipped over and asked a million and six questions about this strange new world. Zell, ever the know-it-all, told her everything she needed to know and even got her hooked on hot dogs; Seifer received harmless flirts from the loveable girl (as did Nida, unbeknownst to the others), and poor Fujin found someone who was her exact opposite in every way.

As for Amy… well… She spent a lot of time talking about the world her "new" friends came from. She spoke of the two Sorceress Wars, and of the Savage Six and Laguna; she spoke of the orphanage gang, and of Garden and the SeeDs, and how Cid and Edea set out to build a protection against "the sorceress". She told of her friends in the Garden, and sighed about how she missed Selphie and Raijin and Irvine and all of them, and told them everything about her own experiences and how she was mistaken for another girl who looked exactly like her. The entire speech took about two and a half hours to complete, and by the time she was done, all her Sailor friends were in a daze.

The next day, Amy (along with her friends) told the foreigners about _their_ world, and how the Sailor Scouts came to be, and of Beryl and Serenity and the Doom Tree and the Dark Moon Kingdom, and of the Death Busters and Pharaoh 90 and the Dead Moon Circus and everything else in between. Amy personally told Zell about Greg, and he spoke about Gwendolyn, and Lita told Seifer of her boyfriend (he didn't resemble the guy at _all_), and Seifer told her of Rinoa, and in the end, everybody was as confused and as lost as ever.

But it made for a very amusing story all the same.

And so, time went on…

"Y'ready yet?" asked Zell for the third time. Even though he was growing a little impatient, he still had a big smile on his face. After all, he considered himself quite lucky that someone like Amy would like him, and though he didn't know it (yet), Amy considered herself just as lucky.

"Almost!" she said, painting the lipstick on her mouth. Amy was in a gorgeous icy-blue dress that shimmered as brilliantly as the icy poles. It was conservative enough to show in front of one's grandparents, yet sexy enough to make Zell smile just a little broader than usual. Amy was not one for makeup, but it was a very special occasion that night. She was going on her very first fancy group date, and had wanted to prepare herself.

"You women…" Seifer moaned, stifling a yawn as he laid sprawled on a couch. "I don't understand why you take so frickin' long to get dressed. I managed to slip this on in under three minutes." He pointed to the black suit he was wearing, and got several other of the guys to agree. Zell, in his blue suit, made no comment.

"And you look very nice," pointed Lita, putting eyeliner to her own face as she gazed in the mirror. "But we women have to look even nicer so you men don't go and flirt with some other chick!"

"Now would I do that to you?" asked Seifer slyly. Lita smiled, and turned around to gaze at him. She was wearing a shiny dark-green dress, much like Amy's except larger and in another hue. Her hair had been combed out of her ponytail, and if one did not know her well, one would not have recognized her.

"I dunno…" she said doubtfully. "I haven't know you for that long."

"Well, what's the purpose of this date then?" he asked. Lita chuckled lightly, let him win the little debate, and turned around to pretty herself up a little. Darien had been waiting patiently with the other guys, as had Nida, and Raye's boyfriend, and Mina's boyfriend…… In fact, in an almost-humorous way, all the men were waiting for their individual romantic interests, all of whom (even Fujin, believe it or not) had crowded around the same long horizontal mirror. They had previously slipped into a dress of their favorite color: white for Serena, red for Raye, green for Lita, blue for Amy, orange for Mina (Darien noticed a disturbing pattern at this point), and black for Fujin.

Fortunately, the girls all finished within the next fifteen minutes, and after the men took their loves by the hand, they all guided them single-file out of Lita's house and into the warm summer night. The moon was shining a gorgeous silvery glow, and the stars twinkled merrily, and the trees outside waved gently in the wind. Crickets chirped, a nearby pond bubbled with singing frogs, and a shiny limousine sat waiting for them in the driveway.

It was going to be a wonderful night on the town.

__ ****

The End


End file.
